Oculto
by riverofmemories
Summary: When Levy takes a job requiring that she retrieve a treasure from ancient ruins, she doesn't expect there to be a guardian. In fact, she rejects Mira's offer of sending someone with her or even the idea that she should invite anyone other than Lily with her. "Good thing it's Mira, she's probably already sent Gajeel after us." {Gajeel x Levy}
1. Mission to the Ruins

**. Oculto .**

* * *

"Levy, are you _sure_ that you want to take this job?"

From where she was standing in front of the bar, her hands propped on her hips and her lips set in a determined smile, Levy McGarden gave a curt nod. "Yes. I need the money to pay for rent this month and it'll let me afford some books, too."

She paused to think over what she'd said. _...I'm starting to sound like Lucy!_ she laughed to herself.

"But are you sure that you want to take it _alone_?" Mirajane fretted, her eyes flashing with worry for the blue-haired solid-script mage. "Where's Jet and Droy?"

Levy grimaced. "We got into a bit of an argument and they took another job without me. Don't worry so much, Mira, I can handle it. I've taken on much worse. You know I have." Mira did _not_ need to know that the basis of that argument had been her eagerness to invite Gajeel on missions with them...

"Still…" Mira looked unhappy at the thought of sending her friend out alone. She couldn't ask Lucy to go with her, as the blonde had gone out on a job with the rest of Team Natsu only a few hours before. And while everyone in the guild were good friends, not many were compatible with the jobs that Levy chose to take. Then again...this was a kind of job most of them were willing to take on…

Levy had managed to pick up a job that requested the retrieval of a wanted piece of treasure that was hidden deep within the territory of ancient ruins, of which were guarded by many traps left by the people that had once lived there. While Levy was smart and cautious and could probably decipher the traps before they went off, it was a dangerous job to go on by herself.

"What about Gajeel?" Mira finally suggested tentatively. "Is he around?"

"No," Levy grumbled. "He went on a job the other day. He shouldn't be back for another week...and stop trying to pair us up, Mira," she scolded. The barmaid blushed with a look of fake innocence on her face that Levy saw past with ease. "I know what you're up to."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mira said slyly with a smirk. She sighed softly and picked the paper up, studying the information a second time. The payment was steep, which concerned her. The higher the price, the more dangerous the job was the usual ratio, and Mira wasn't so sure that she wanted to allow the young woman to take it. But one look at Levy's pleading face had her sighing as she handed it back. "Alright. I'll let the client know who to expect, but if I don't hear from you once a week until it's done, I'm sending someone after you."

"Thank you, Mira!" Levy squealed in excitement. She snatched the paper back and tucked it safely into her pocket, silently vowing to place it in the safety of her bag when she got home to her apartment in Fairy Hills. "I'll make sure to check in tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Are you sure you don't want anyone to go with you?" Mira searched her gaze, sucking her lower lip between her teeth and chewing on it in thought. "I could go if you want."

"I'll be _fine_ ," Levy insisted. She reached up to push her blue bangs out of her eyes - she'd been in too much of a rush to get to the guildhall that morning to put her hair into its usual style - and then gave one final smile. "Like you said, just send someone if I don't send word after I leave, okay? I'll contact you when I arrive at the client's town since it's the one closest to the ruins."

"Sounds good." Mira scooped up a plate that needed to be cleaned from nearby on the bar and headed towards the sink, calling over her shoulder, "See you in the morning, Levy!"

"Yep!" Levy gave a wave and then headed for the doors of the guildhall, pausing only to bid farewell to Asuka when the young girl waved.

She paused to study the slowly darkening sky upon stepping outside, and smiled before heading in the direction of Fairy Hills, a soft pain of loneliness piercing her. Without a certain dragon slayer conveniently heading in the same direction or friends who lived in the same building, it was a lonely walk, and Levy didn't exactly enjoy what came in the dark of night when one wasn't watching out for it.

It took her only close to twenty minutes to get to Fairy Hills, and it turned out that Juvia was leaving in a hurry just as she arrived. Juvia paused to smile and greet her. "Hello, Levy!" she greeted faintly, "Juvia has to hurry...Juvia is late for a train!"

"Then what are you standing here talking to me for?" Levy scolded, "Hurry and get going!"

Juvia giggled and gave a small wave. "Bye, Levy! Juvia hopes to see you soon!" Then she was gone, bustling away as quickly as she could with a bag slung over one shoulder.

Levy watched after the water mage with a smile on her face and then slipped into the building, easily making her way to her room. She stopped in the doorway and planted her hands on her hips as she studied the mess of books around her. She'd have to choose only two or three to bring with her...that would be a difficult choice. But she'd manage.

At least it would be easy to choose which clothes to bring.

Tracking down a map of the country, she spread it out on her bed and pulled the job request out to make sure that it was in the location she thought it to be in. She frowned when she realized she'd been right.

The client was located in Oak Town, and the ruins themselves were to the east, in the middle of a desert. Thankfully, the information promised that the ruins were near a safe body of water and that supplies would be paid for by the client. Nodding to herself, Levy went to work on packing the clothes she would need.

At least it was late fall. It wouldn't be nearly as hot as the middle of summer.

Still, she'd need clothes meant for warmer weather.

Levy tossed a few pairs of shorts into a suitcase, followed by some tank tops. She added a few headbands into the mix alongside her underwear and some shoes that would be good to protect her feet from hidden rocks and those that made up the ruins.

When that had been done, Levy dumped a few books in there for good measure along with some other necessary items that would do her good to have in the desert.

"There," she said when she was done, humming and kicking the suitcase shut. She smirked, and then snatched a book off of the middle of her bed after shoving the map off, climbing under the covers without bothering to change, pausing only to kick her sandals off.

Why bother stripping her clothes off and get into comfortable ones when she was going to be up and going within twelve hours?

Humming, the young woman settled back, her book in her hands and a gentle smile on her face.

Reading would always relax her.

Levy didn't move for the rest of the night, falling asleep in the very position she'd been in hours before.

* * *

Hauling the packed suitcase through the streets of Magnolia, Levy hummed under her breath, moving quickly to get to the guildhall. She wanted to check in before she caught a train in two hours that would get her to where she needed to go. She'd decided to pay someone when she arrived or request that her client pay for a mount that she could take with her, so she wouldn't have to walk through the desert and take a longer time to get there earlier in the morning, getting the idea from a book she was reading.

She might even rent an entire cart, so that she could haul more supplies with her.

Levy smiled when the guildhall came into sight, and she found herself arriving at the same time as a cheerful looking Lisanna. The young woman waved, waiting for Levy to rush over before slipping in. "Hi, Levy."

"Hey, Lisanna!" Levy replied eagerly as she entered behind her. She studied the guildhall, taking in the emptiness of it. Not many people came this early in the day; the Strauss siblings were all there alongside Bisca and Alzack, who were talking with Mira, and Asuka, who was running around trying to catch someone who surprised her.

"Lily!" Levy called, frowning. If Lily was there, then Gajeel was back as well. And they hadn't been expected until next week!

The Exceed paused at the call of his name, and it gave Asuka just enough time to gently capture his tail in her fingers. "Got you!" she laughed, and Lily winced before dropping so that she could catch him.

"So you did," he rumbled, amused with the child. "I need to speak with Levy now, if you don't mind."

"Okay!" Asuka released him and his wings reappeared, allowing him to easily fly over to the solid-script mage, who'd set her suitcase upright. She caught him in a hug, a smile lighting up her face, and he chuckled.

"I'm an Exceed, Levy, not a cat."

"You're a friend," she corrected before letting go of him, much like Asuka had. "What are you doing back? You and Gajeel should have been out until next week."

"Yes, well." Lily sighed, shaking his head. "The client that hired us thought that it would take longer than it would. Apparently his daughter had run off with some man that turned out to be not who he said he was. He needed help finding her and with Gajeel's nose, it took us a matter of hours to do what his men had spent weeks doing."

"That's good. I'm glad you found her...is she safe?" Levy asked worriedly. Gajeel was a good person - something she knew more than anyone else besides maybe Lily - but he wasn't exactly an empathetic person.

"She's safe." Lily glanced over to a corner, and Levy's lips twitched, feeling the glare that had suddenly turned on them. It was a dark corner, but she could still see the shape of the very man they'd been discussing. Gajeel was watching them and probably listening in; she didn't really care all that much. It wasn't like a conversation with Lucy.

"Good." Levy grinned and then lifted a hand to wave at Gajeel slightly. He only glared back, but she could practically feel the smile that tugged at his lips as he inclined his head in greeting. Levy giggled and turned towards the bar. "Sorry, I have to go check in with Mira now. I have a train to catch here in the next two hours."

"Oh? You're going on a job?" Lily studied her curiously. "What about Droy and Jet? Are they going with you?"

Levy flushed a dark red. "No. We got into a fight...it's a solo mission. I haven't tried one in a while and I thought it'd be a good idea…"

"Could I go?"

Levy stared at the Exceed. "You...want to go with me?"

He shrugged. "Why not? I have nothing better to do since Gajeel's earned us enough money for the month. And he's probably waiting on Natsu and the others to get back so that he can mess with them, not exactly something I enjoy seeing. Besides, it could be good to have someone seeing things from above."

Levy's lips spread into a huge grin. "Sure. I'll let Mira know. Do you need to go grab anything?" He shook his head. "Okay, why don't you go tell Gajeel, and I'll speak with Mira. Then we'll head out. Sound good?"

"Yes," he agreed with an amused look. He flew off to inform Gajeel on what he probably already knew and Levy smiled before hurrying over to the bar, cautious as she brought her bag with her. It was dangerous to leave your possessions around the guildhall, even with the primary cause behind the destruction off and on a job.

"Hello," Mira greeted upon seeing her. She hurried over and leaned on the bar with a warm smile, her silver hair spilling over her shoulders. "Thank you for checking in, make sure you let me know when you get to Oak Town, okay?"

"Of course," Levy promised. "And Lily's going to go with me now, if that's alright. He offered and I thought it would be a good idea for him to come. As he put it, he can be my eyes in the sky."

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed. "I wanted someone to go with you...I feel as if this isn't going to be an easy job for you alone, and if the situation requires it, he can take on a larger form…"

Levy shook her head in exasperation. "I know you're worried, Mira, but I'm not that weak you know."

"I know," Mirajane laughed reassuringly. "You _were_ in the S-Class Exams. Okay, I'll see you when you get back, and you _better_ get in touch, you hear me? Even if Lily's with you. I'm going to be worried about you."

"I promise I'll let you know when I arrive," Levy said firmly before turning towards the door and calling, "Come on, Lily! We've got to go and catch our train!"

There was a few more moments before Lily finally flew back over with a heavy sigh. "I apologize, Gajeel was being...Gajeel." He glared over his shoulder at the equally annoyed dragon slayer, who, to Levy's surprise, was approaching. "And it appears he's going to continue being Gajeel."

Levy had to fight back a laugh as the iron mage demanded, "The hell are you off to with my cat?" His dark hair was wild, his body clothed in a sleeveless black jacket. Each hand was gloved with an iron cuff surrounding at each wrist. She recognized the outfit as one of his normal ones, something he wore often.

"A job," she answered. She smiled up at him with a reassuring look. "Don't worry, we'll be back soon. The client's merely requested that I bring some kind of treasure back from ancient ruins."

He gave her a look that wasn't exactly comforting, his piercing crimson gaze locked on her face. "Who else is going with ya? Where are those stalkers of yours, they around?"

"Jet and Droy took their own job," Levy said carefully. "I was going to take this as a solo job because I need the money, but Lily offered. So I'm going to be taking him with me. Is that alright?"

The iron dragon slayer grunted after a moment of studying her annoyed gaze. "Yeah," he finally muttered, "Whatever. Don't take too long."

Levy smiled gently at him, fully aware that she was one of the very few people who were allowed to see the concern in his face, even as he scoffed aloud and turned away. Gajeel pretended to be cold and hateful towards most of the guild, even after the events of Tenrou Island and the Grand Magic Games, but she knew better.

"See you later, Gajeel," she called, sighing. She turned away and gave Lily a large smile. "Ready to leave?"

"Of course," the Exceed said cheerfully. Levy plucked him out of the air with slim fingers, clasping him to her with one arm and her other used to drag the suitcase behind her after they'd left the guildhall. Lily spared a glance up at the blue-haired woman with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I'm surprised Gajeel didn't put up more of a fight."

"And I'm glad he didn't," Levy replied with a firm smile. "I've been meaning to go out on my own for a while now, I just didn't have the chance to because Jet and Droy were determined to go with me. We're a team, but lately...they've been a bit overwhelming." Levy sighed heavily and shook her head, her blue hair tumbling around her cheeks. "I love them, I really do, but they need to realize I can handle myself perfectly fine."

"I see," Lily rumbled. "I understand. I can refrain from helping you for the most part if you want."

"No, I don't mind your help," she protested as her legs moved quickly, taking them through the streets of Magnolia and towards a train station and the train that would take them to Oak Town. "Your help is alright, because you'll let me fight alongside you if I want to. Jet and Droy try to protect me and keep me from everything."

"That can be frustrating," Lily agreed with a sigh, his tail twitching. "It is an upside to being able to take on a form that other Exceeds can't seem to manage for the most part. It allows me to do more than just fly Gajeel around. Not that I do that most of the time, he does fairly well of hurling himself through the air and getting his head beat in."

Levy giggled, slipping between a few people to get into an alley that would get them to the train station faster. She easily walked down the empty path and emerged onto a busier road. "Gajeel's a brilliant fighter, but he isn't a very tactical person, is he?"

"No, he's not." Levy only laughed at Lily's confirmation and crossed the street quickly to get to the waiting train station. She entered the platform, gently tightening her grip on the Exceed in her grip as she rushed over to purchase a ticket. "Two for Oak Town, please," she requested, grimacing at the price. At least she'd be getting some prize money to make up for it.

The one selling the tickets smiled kindly and took the jewels she offered before sliding two pieces of paper to her. "Two to Oak Town," he repeated, then called, "Next!"

Shoving the tickets into the bag at her side, Levy sighed softly and found a bench to sit on with Lily so that they could wait for their train. She and the Exceed chatted together about minor matters that weren't all that important until the train arrived, and they were quick to board so they could be among the first to find seats.

Once they had, Lily made himself comfortable in the seat across from hers, looking amused as she reached for a book and opened it to the first page. "Always have a book, don't you?"

"Of course," Levy laughed as she smiled warmly at him. "I never leave home without at least three books. Would you like my other one to read?"

Lily sighed softly and held his paws out. "Why not?"

Levy slipped her hand into her bag and withdrew the book before handing it over to him. "Here you go," she told him, "That one's interesting. It's about a warrior who sets out on a journey to save his family and home. Cliché, I know, but I loved it when I read it the first time."

"And how many times have you read it?" Lily questioned with an unsurprised look when she muttered, "Somewhere around ten, but not the point! Just read it!"

Peace fell between the two as the train lurched forward, neither wanting to move anytime soon and grateful for the long train ride to Oak Town.

Upon their arrival, Levy stepped off of the train, humming, with Lily in one arm and her hand grasping her suitcase. The Exceed was huffy about having to get off _now_ , when he'd almost been finished with his book.

Levy was laughing about the matter. "I know how you feel, Lily, you can finish it tonight. I think we're going to stay in town today, get supplies and talk with the client before we head out. Is that alright?"

"That's fine," Lily reassured. "A smart plan...perhaps we should travel at night? It'll be hot in the desert. Much too hot during the day. I vote that we stay for the night and tomorrow as well before heading out tomorrow evening. You'll want to stay away tonight in that case so that you can set up a schedule before we're actually going."

"Ooh," Levy agreed. "Smart. We'll be able to explore a bit, too, have something nice to eat. I can pay for you if you want."

"Nonsense. I have money, Levy, I'll pay for myself."

Levy only giggled. She released the Exceed and his wings snapped into view as he hovered beside her head, following as she headed into the town. It was brimming with people, though it wasn't nearly as filled as Magnolia was, and Levy found herself fascinated once more with the differences. It was warmer here, despite the fact that Magnolia was further south, and the stone buildings and streets captured and held that warmth, as if it was something far too precious to get rid of.

Lily was just as interested as she was. And when they entered a peaceful tavern to grab a bite to eat before heading out to do some research and meet with their client, he took one sniff and declared, "I'll need a drink."

Levy giggled, dark eyes flashing with amusement as she approached the bar and did a wrist flick to symbol that they were ready to order something. "Not too much, I hope, you need to be able to get around and whatnot, and even talk if necessary to the client."

"I'm not Cana, thank you," he huffed, as if annoyed that she'd thought in such a way. He waited until they'd given the barmaid their owners - Levy doubted she'd be as efficient as Mira, but that was alright, because no one could be Mira like Mira could - and then settled back into a seat as he commented, "Gajeel seemed a bit off throughout our last job."

She glanced at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes." Lily frowned. "He was distracted. I was concerned that it'd get us killed when we found ourselves fighting, and I had to constantly remind him to focus...it's part of the reason I accompanied you. Do you know of anything that might have been bugging him enough?"

She gave him a look of shock. "What, do you expect me to? Lily, I rarely see Gajeel around, and when I do, he insults me and calls me a shrimp or some other name. I end up having to leave so that I don't have to listen to it anymore."

"You're closer to him than any other mage," Lily sighed. "Even more so than Juvia, I think. He trusts you. And he doesn't place his full trust in just anyone, as you're well aware. I had thought that perhaps you might have known…"

"No, sorry," she sighed, resting her chin on her open palm, her blue hair tickling the back of her neck until she used her other hand to sweep it away. _It's getting longer_ , she noticed in peaceful silent. "I don't know anything about it. We can ask when we get back though."

"I doubt he'll tell," Lily said with a frustrated look. "Gajeel is very stubborn." A pause. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try. I'll do my best to think things over in the process. For all I know, he might have just been worried about the kid that was in danger."

Levy glanced at him anxiously, but the Exceed remained quiet and didn't explain further. Levy was well aware that despite the attitude Gajeel had about everything, he was rather fond of children and did fairly well with them. When Asuka came prying, he simply entertained her. He was gentle with Wendy when she came seeking his help, and he was constantly teasing Romeo lightly about his "secret" crush.

It was something she was fond of about him.

Not that anyone needed to know that. Not even Lucy, her closest friend, knew that she was _that_ fond of Gajeel Redfox.

A content hum left Levy's lips as she watched their meals be delivered. "Thanks," she murmured, reaching for a fork with an eager look on her face. "Come on, Lily, eat up, we have to go meet with our client after this."

The two exchanged a peaceful and content smile before hurrying to eat, eager to get a move on in their travels.

* * *

 _Sooooooo I'm not participating in Gajevy Week really, since I wasn't too interested in the prompts nor do I have the time to write out much, so I figured that I might as well start my newest Gajevy fanfic for you people instead! Oculto updates on Sundays, so expect it then! See you next week!_


	2. Sands of Suspicion

**. Oculto .**

* * *

The meeting with the client went by fairly quickly after they'd dropped off a letter that would be mailed to the guildhall, much to Levy's relief.

Their client was a middle-aged one whose gaze was a little bit _too_ directed at her lacking chest, as if he was disappointed, and Levy forced herself not to smack him upside the head after he made some kind of snide comment under his breath. Lily was watching with care throughout the entire interaction, silently promising Levy that he'd kill the man if he so much as layed a finger on her in Gajeel's place.

Their instructions were simple.

Find a treasure that was hidden within the ruins of an ancient people and bring it back. Receive her payment and head home. Ask no questions about the treasure, as it concerned him that she might run off with it.

She'd given him a look, fighting the urge to snap at him to go find it himself if he thought the mage he hired was going to run off and steal it. She'd been smart in her questions, asking if there was anything defending it or if anyone had tried to take it before and what had happened to them.

He'd answered with a sly smirk that made her uncomfortable, "Not that I know of."

When they left the client's home and were a decent distance away, Levy gave a shaky smile and murmured, "I hate clients sometimes."

"They can be a nuisance, but they are what pay us and we can't complain about that," Lily said with a reassuring look from his place in her arms. She'd grabbed him and hugged him to her chest when she'd become worried that the man would try to grab her and he'd simply let her. "At least you won't have to deal with him until it's time to come back and bring him his treasure."

Levy narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, a pout sliding across her face. "I don't want to see him at all, honestly. Anyways, do you think he was lying? I'm sure there's some kind of guardian beast or spirit or something. Some kind of defensive magic. There _has_ to be. A piece of treasure wouldn't be left undefended in a bunch of ancient ruins, would it?"

"I don't believe it would have been left undefended," Lily agreed with a heavy sigh. "At least we'll be prepared."

"I'm glad you came along," Levy told him, relaxing and finally releasing him. "I don't think I could have handled this job without you honestly...okay. Let's get to work on gathering supplies. He gave us the instructions on how to direct all travel payments and whatnot to his money, so it shouldn't be too long. We'll leave in the morning. Sound good?"

"Yes." Lily gave her a smile and beat his wings at the air to hover beside her head as they made their way through the streets of Oak Town without a care in the world. The two murmured to one another as they went, deciding to pick up a mount that they'd be able to take - or a cart, depending on what was available for the time being - before getting the rest of the supplies, so they wouldn't have to carry it all.

Levy would be the first to admit that she wasn't exactly the strongest physically, and she didn't think it'd be smart for Lily to wander around in his battle form. He needed to preserve his strength for anything they came across in the desert.

It wasn't hard to find someone who knew of where they could lease out an animal or cart. When she found someone who was willing to lease out a simple mount for her, she struck up a conversation, explaining what she needed and why she needed it after arriving at his home on the outskirts of town.

The person had been shocked. "You're heading _there_?" the old man gasped, his eyes widening. "I'll loan you my fiercest animal to protect you if you want...it'll help protect you so long as you supply it with the needed food and shelter. It's not fond of the cold, you see, and it gets rather chilly around here at this time of year...at night anyways."

Levy glanced at Lily. "...why would I need a fierce creature?" she requested nervously.

As they'd expected, the man explained, "There's supposedly a guardian beast that roams the territory and makes sure that no one is coming to steal its treasure. I've seen it myself, miss, a grand beast it was. Stunning...but frightening."

"Well I'm sure Lily here and I can handle it," she told him, though she really didn't believe her own words. She glanced up at him for confirmation and the Exceed nodded silently. "Although I would appreciate such an animal if you have it…"

"Of course," he replied with a gentle look. "This way, miss, I'll show him to you and you can decide if you want to borrow him or not."

He led her from the front of the property to the back, where there were several acres of fields and lush green grass. Levy guessed that there was some kind of water mage that watered it for them to keep it alive outside of the rainy seasons.

Stopping at a gait, he raised his fingers to his lips and gave a shrill whistle.

The creature that came trotting into view made Levy blink a few times. It was rather similar to a common deer, though taller, with spindly legs and a longer and graceful neck. Massive antlers sprouted out of its large head, and its eyes were a piercing amber with slits that reminded her of those of a reptile. Its feet were clawed rather than those with hooves, a longer tail extending behind it. Its coat was sleek and shiny, meant to blend in with the desert, and it made a crooning sound as it opened its mouth to show off several rows of teeth.

"This here is Salutem," the old farmer introduced with an affectionate smile. He patted the creature's neck and it made a sound akin to a purr. "He's quite the looker, but he's a sweet soul. He'll protect you so long as you feed and water him right."

"He's quite the animal," Lily muttered, eyeing the creature curiously as Salutem lowered his antlered head, ears flicking. It sniffed at Levy's blue hair; the young woman smiled and offered a hand to sniff before stroking its nose.

"We'll take him," she said firmly. "We'll return him to you as soon as we return from our work, if you don't mind."

"Don't worry about it," the farmer said with a grin. He gave the mount an appreciative look. "Salutem doesn't get out much. Not since my son moved to Crocus with his wife and children. I'm too old to take him out. You're welcome to take him permanently. Your guild has a series of stables for such animals, don't they?"

"As of recently, yes," Levy admitted. She didn't adventure into them often - the animals there were quite large, almost all of them bigger and heavier than her. "But I doubt he'd be happy there."

"Then release him into the desert when you're done with him," the old man sighed. "He'd enjoy himself out there."

Levy's eyes went wide. "Are you sure?"

"More than positive," he chuckled. He gave Levy a kind smile and made a gesture, a hand signal that Levy noticed caught Salutem's attention. The deer-like creature made a sound like a purr and stepped closer. "I'll teach you a few hand movements," he decided. "He responds well to them, and it comes in handy when you're in a situation that requires silence. He carries a good amount of weight, which will be good for your supplies."

"It certainly will," Lily rumbled, "We'll need a lot of them, especially water."

The man didn't seem at all startled by Lily throughout the entire time that they were conversing with him. Within hours, she was leading a quiet Salutem through the streets as she and Lily purchased supplies and by the time they were done, both of them were famished and Salutem had supplies piled into a cart that was rattling behind his large body.

Thoughtful, Levy glanced at the sky and then suggested, "Why don't we get some dinner, Lily? We'll camp outside tonight, I think. See just how bad the cold nights are, maybe just a mile or two outside of town, and then head out for sure after tomorrow, when we're completely prepared."

"Sounds good," Lily agreed with a smile. His tail flicked as he landed on Salutem's antlered head, and the creature merely snorted, not looking bothered by the action other than a little tug on the bridle he wore.

* * *

The next morning later found Levy preparing Salutem and their supplies for their long journey through the desert to the ruins. From what she'd calculated on a piece of paper long since thrown out, they had a mere three nights' worth of travel before they arrived on the outskirts of the ruins. And then there was the extra day that it took to get to their chosen campsite.

Lily, who'd been helping her by loading up her books into a saddlebag, mused, "It's a good thing that you can ride Salutem at the same time that you can use him to pull supplies. It would be a far more difficult job without the amount of supplies we were able to gather."

"Not even I can walk that far," the solid-script mage laughed before tightening a strap on the saddle. Salutem barely flinched, only purring and shifting in his eagerness to head out. Levy had sworn the previous night that the deer understood what they were saying. He was fairly intelligent, she supposed. He'd understood her call of his name, had even backed up so that they could hook up the cart full of their food, water, and more.

"Okay," she said after a moment, hands on her hips. "Ready to go, Lily?"

The Exceed dropped to sit in the cart - which had had its wheels exchanged for a ski-like piece that would glide over sand - on a bag of blankets they'd been gifted by a friendly vendor. "Yes. Let's go."

She swung up onto Salutem's back - the animal was kind enough to help her up with its antlers - and then did a final check before taking up the reins. Doing as Salutem's owner had explained, she clicked her tongue twice, and he broke into a smoothly flowing trot that ate up the ground yet wasn't uncomfortable. Levy pulled out a compass as he moved, studying the direction on it before adjusting Salutem only a bit. The deer didn't mind the gentle tug on the reins, instead immediately doing as she asked.

Levy grinned after putting the compass away, enjoying the breeze that accompanied their fast movement. This job - now that they were away from their client - was fun, and not something she wasn't enjoying.

The day was hot, but it wasn't quite sweltering. It was warm, warm enough that she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts, but was able to ride without sweating. The clouds were beautiful above the sand, fluffy and blocking some of the harsh sun, and Levy silently wondered if Lucy would perhaps like to come out here someday to see the stars at night, away from the loud distractions of towns and cities.

Perhaps she could bring Gajeel out here at some point, too. For some reason, she imagined that he liked such harsh terrains much more than cluttered towns or mountains or forests.

It was about three hours into the first leg of their trip that Levy brought the deer she rode upon to a halt. It slowed to a walk, barely breathing hard or slicked with sweat. In fact, Salutem made a noise of impatience, as if he wanted desperately to keep going.

But Levy's legs hurt, and she needed a break and some water. She slid from Salutem's back with care, grumbling when her sore legs nearly gave out on her. "Levy?" Lily called questioningly from where he was in the cart.

"We're just taking a break," she explained, yawning. She smiled at the Exceed as she made her way over, patting his head affectionately before grabbing a bottle of water that they'd stored. Levy had created ice with her magic, knowing it wouldn't melt easily with magical properties, and she enjoyed the cold water as she sipped at it.

"Something is bothering me," Lily told her after taking a drink of some kiwi juice he'd brought with him. Levy had been amused by his dedication to such a thing. "I've been watching for a while now. Levy, there's _nothing else_ out here."

Levy blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that there's no other wildlife. There should be lizards, snakes. Predators. I can't even hear bugs." Levy looked around at his words, startled when she realized that he was right. "Perhaps," he suggested, "It is the guardian spirit? Or whatever is protecting the ruins…"

"We can't be in the area already though," Levy murmured, hurrying over to their saddlebags. She withdrew a map from one, moving back to Lily, and spread it out, not seeming to notice as Lily sprang into the air to hover beside her head. "We shouldn't be that close," she murmured. "We _can't_ be."

"And we're not," Lily said firmly. "I'm merely suggesting that we may need to return to Oak Town and call for someone to join us."

"Let's check everything out first," Levy decided with a sigh. She didn't want to bring anyone else in unless it was absolutely necessary, which meant moving on and pushing towards the awaiting ruins to see what was going on there. So, the young woman took a deep breath and put the map away. "Come on, Lily, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can figure out just what we're dealing with."

"I suppose," he agreed reluctantly, tail flicking. He studied her for a few moments before shaking his head and flying over to sit with her in the saddle after she'd put the map away and climbed back onto Salutem's back. He settled back against her with a tired sigh. "Levy, I understand that you want to do this on your own, but there is no shame in asking one of the others for assistance if you truly need it."

Levy bit her lip as she picked up the reins, encouraging Salutem into a trot before answering. "I know...but I want to try by myself and see if I can do it. Besides, I know Mira's going to try and send someone if I'm not home in three weeks, so it's not like no one will be coming."

"And we could be dead by then." Lily said this roughly with a sharp tone, trying to drive his point into her mind. "The job request said nothing about a guardian beast that is so dangerous it scares off the wildlife, Levy. This could get both of us killed, and if you end up even the slightest bit hurt, I _will_ fly myself back to the guild for assistance."

Levy blinked. Lily had never spoken to her in such away, and she hesitantly nodded, biting her lip. "Right. Sorry, Lily, you're right. Let's check out the situation carefully, and then we can run back and send a letter requesting for someone to come and join us. How about that?"

"That will do, but we are not remaining if the guardian does not show himself," Lily warned. "He could hide himself and watch until he thinks it's a good time to strike."

"True," Levy admitted, and then gave a nod. "Alright. We'll do a quick scan and then head back to Oak Town for backup."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they continued forward, the sound of Salutem's hooves the only thing heard throughout the afternoon.

* * *

It took them just as long as they expected to arrive at the outskirts of the ruins.

And Levy would be the first to hop on any train that said the ruins were beautiful, because they _were_ particularly beautiful in the setting sun's light. She swung off of Salutem and clicked her tongue to tell him to keep close. Lily was clasped to her chest as she approached a crumbling stone building with care.

She peeked inside, releasing her hold on the Exceed and commanding Salutem to stay where he was. "Looks harmless," she commented, frowning at the sight of old broken bowls. "I wonder what made these people leave though…"

She'd read up on the people that had once lived in these ruins several times throughout her years of exploring the guild's archives. Apparently it was as if they'd been in the middle of their normal day before running off and abandoning it all.

 _Perhaps it was the guardian?_ Levy thought curiously.

But it was _their_ treasure that it was guarding, not the guardian's...so perhaps something else had run through? Perhaps they'd been taken prisoner by some of Fiore's troops? Who knew.

Levy was leaving the old building and heading for the next one when Lily told her, "I'm going to check out the area from the skies. Keep the...deer close to you."

"Got it," she said, shooting him a thumbs up. Lily watched her for a moment before disappearing above them, and Salutem snorted. His hooves dug into the sand as he followed, the sled of supplies trailing behind him. He kept his massive head low to the ground, nose searching the sand for anything strange.

Levy entered and exited a few more buildings, inspecting each and every possession left within them. There were remains of old blankets, paintings, and Levy had even found an old doll that had once belonged to a girl.

The doll had made her tear up; what kind of disaster would send people running like this?

Levy's attention was diverted when a voice called her name and Lily appeared, looking concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked, frowning at the look on his face. The Exceed dropped out of the air and into her arms, trusting her to catch him.

"We're not alone here," Lily murmured. "There's bandits, thieves, whatever they are. They've been following us, I think. They have their own animals that they've been using. They're only over that dune." He pointed at a hill of sand nearby. "There are somewhere around a dozen of them, but I'm pretty sure that most of them are mages."

Levy's blood turned to ice and her lips parted in shock. "Salutem didn't notice?"

"They've got some kind of magic cloaking them, hiding them except from sight," Lily explained with a sigh. "We'll have to venture further in, because there's no way even you and I combined would be a match for them. One of them specializes in some kind of fire magic, though the flames were blue."

Levy moaned quietly in exasperation. "Great. Bandits _and_ a guardian to deal with...okay, come on, Salutem. Lily, do you think you can watch from above and maybe help me lose them?"

"I can try," Lily promised before hopping out of her grip and soaring back up into the sky. He disappeared, only the white of his wings letting her know where he was.

Salutem used his antlers to help her up onto his back, and then they were off. Levy encouraged the deer to take off at a full out lope, knowing that their supplies were tied down enough to handle it. He flew across the sands at a speed that made her breathless, her legs already shaky from holding on. Lily flew down, barely keeping up to report, "They're onto us. They're following, and I think they know that we're aware of them. They're not using magic to hide them."

"Great," Levy moaned in exasperation, thinking quickly over what they should do. "Maybe if we loop around, backtrack, we could -"

Levy cut off with a scream as Salutem suddenly shrieked in pain and reared back onto his hind legs. Levy barely had time to register that there was some kind of glowing arrow sticking out of his flank before he'd charged off, leaving them alone. Levy swore colorfully and shoved herself to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest.

Ignoring the pain in her shoulder and fighting back the urge to vomit at it, Levy readied her good arm and hand to use her magic. Lily dropped beside her, his form already changed, sword in hand as they found themselves surrounded by the bandits that had followed them.

One cackled, reining in the horse that he rose. "Look what we found. A fairy."

"Fetch us a rare price across the ocean," another muttered with a sneer.

"The cat will have to be skinned though. Pelt must be worth _something._ "

"I think they're worse than bandits," Lily mumbled, his deep voice a soothing rumble that helped fend off her worry over the situation. "Slavers, perhaps?"  
"Great," Levy whimpered, "And the one time I told Mira to leave it be when she tried to insist I take someone with me."

"Good thing it's Mira, she's probably already sent Gajeel after us."

* * *

"I can't believe I let that devil send me after them," Gajeel Redfox seethed with a frustrated look, his arms crossed across his chest. His foot tapped impatiently, a scowl on his face as he glared at the clock. _Where's that damn train?_

He hated Mira for what she'd done to him. He'd been guilted into going after the shrimp and his cat when he was pretty sure that they'd be fine; it wasn't like it was a big job they were completing. They were just retrieving something from some ancient ruins. Ain't like it was them going to hunt Acnologia.

But she'd only had to say a single word about Levy being hurt and Gajeel had finally grumbled that he'd go. But only to check on them. They weren't helpless; they were Fairy Tail mages. They could protect themselves. He'd leave as soon as he'd peeked on them and then go back to wherever to wait and accompany them home. Because he wasn't taking a train sooner than he had to.

Besides. Apparently Oak Town was well known for its beautiful deposits of iron.

He could enjoy the chowing down he'd be doing while waiting on his shrimp-

 _No._

She was not his, nor was she anyone's. She was herself. She belonged to no one. Especially not the one who had nearly killed her simply for the sheer hell of it. He refused to even think of her in that way; she deserved so much better than a self-loathing iron dragon slayer who couldn't even accept that his father had up and abandoned him.

Not that the other slayers could either. Wendy still watched the skies, and Salamander was constantly on the search for Igneel. Not that they'd ever find them. Gajeel knew better than to hope too hard whenever a dragon had supposedly been spotted.

He'd fallen so far into darkness, but Levy had become the light that dragged him out though. It was so hard to try and stay away from her when she was so warm and welcoming, sweetly asking if he'd like to help her with something she needed to do or if he'd like to join Team Shadowgear for a job. It was so _goddamn hard_ to not watch her when she strode across the guildhall in the short shorts she wore during the summer or the form-hugging jeans she wore in the winter.

It was hard not to notice her whether it be her physical appearance or her mentality and morals. She'd forgiven him, even when he had yet to forgive himself.

She was the light that had become the sun.

And he was the shadow that threatened to drag her down into the depths of Hell, the darkness that tried to snuff out her life at one point.

The station announced the arrival of the train and Gajeel scowled again.

He'd find her, make sure she was okay, and then leave.

He had no business protecting her when he'd been the one to hurt her the most.

* * *

 _Time for the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy! Thanks to reviewers (Usweasil and Treblemkr)!  
_


	3. Guardian Creature

**. Oculto .**

* * *

Levy swerved around a broken wall, crying out nervously when a blast of magic struck it. The wall crumbled, showing her just what would happen if she was caught by it, and she forced her legs to move faster, listening with fear to the clashes of fighting as Lily worked on defeating half of them.

Levy may or may not have chosen to be the temporary distraction for the other half.

The second she'd come up with the idea only minutes before, she'd simply booked it between a pair, swerving and ducking to avoid the magic and weapons that came after her.

And she was paying the price for such a move.

Blood leaked from a gash that an arrow had landed in her side, speckling the dark sands of the desert as she ran. Her feet slid and sank in the sand, slowing her, but the mounts that the bandits and slavers rode on weren't made for the desert like Salutem had been. So she took to the sand that she sank nearly up to her calf in, smirking when they shrieked in frustration.

Ignoring the pain of a mage who sent a throwing knife at her, letting it skim and flay open the skin on her cheek enough to let warm blood spill down her cheek, Levy threw herself down a sand dune, stumbling. She hit the ground rolling and groaned before forcing herself to her feet, darting forward again and swerving around another abandoned building.

Her breath coming harshly and headband long abandoned, Levy McGarden took a moment to stop and stare at a massive opening in the ground in front of her. It was pitch black inside, stretching what must have been a solid few miles, and she felt a shiver of fear run down her spine when she saw something glint red in the darkness despite the night around them.

A loud huffing sound, followed by a soft rumble.

 _There's something in there!_ she screamed silently, her eyes rounding with horror as she realized she was trapped between the ones chasing her and whatever had hidden itself in the hole.

As Gajeel would have put it…

 _What the fuck could be big enough to hide in_ that _?!_

"There!"

Her head snapped around, blue hair flying around her face as it paled. They'd caught up! _Damn it!_ Taking a deep breath, Levy contemplated whether or not it would hurt less to just throw herself into the clutches of whatever was in the massive hole, because she knew that it was anything but pleasant being a slave in Bosco.

She found herself backing up until she was a foot or so away from the edge as they spilled into view, trapping her there. Her head spun, her eyes filling with desperation as she scribbled a word into the air, but a mage with barrier magic blocked it with ease when fire sprang at them. Laughter filled the air among them as she glared.

"Come now," one cooed, dismounting the heavy horse he rode upon. It was massive, with feathered feet, and sank into the sand with an uncomfortable look on its gentle face. "Don't be so difficult…"

"L-leave me alone," she seethed, her dark eyes set in a dark look. She heard a rustle behind her, a screeching sound that was soft, like metal scraping over cement. The criminals before her chose to ignore it despite the uneasiness of their mounts as the horses shifted and tensed, wanting to run.

He stepped forward, she stepped back, her heel feeling delicately for the edge and finding it with ease. "We don't want to hurt you, little lady…"

"Leave me _alone_!" she finally screamed, her eyes flashing with terror as he lunged. His hands closed around her arm before she could even think about falling back into the hole -

It surged into the sky.

The slavers screamed and shouted their shock and terror at the sight. A piercing and earth-shaking roar filled the air as its front half hit the ground, cracking it and nearly sending Levy back into the hole. She scampered out of the way, ignoring the slaver's screams as he fell. "Bastard," she whispered, and then screamed herself when the foot moved, leaving her to either _move_ or die.

She scampered back to safety, struggling to get out of the way as the monster behind her roared again. She slid behind a crumbling wall, her heart pounded as tears rolled down her cheeks, her bruised and battered body wanting to collapse. But she forced herself to remain ready to run, her ears listening intently.

The monster roared again and she thought her ears might have bled a little at how loud it was.

Its front half finally out of the way, the rest of it followed, and Levy thought that they must have looked like gnats to it as its massive metallic head lowered to snarl at the men. Red eyes gleamed maliciously, razor sharp teeth that were larger than her bared.

And then it struck her that it wasn't some monster. This wasn't just any creature that they'd come across, they'd come across something that she'd pray she never see again after the events of Tenrou Island.

The stupid slavers had herded her straight into the waiting gullet of a dragon. And she _knew_ that there was nothing any of them could do against it as a pair of sharp and metallic wings snapped into view, making it look even larger if possible. It screamed again, letting its roar spread throughout Fiore it seemed like.

The attack it launched at the slavers left nothing. They were shredded by bits of metal that spread throughout the air, thudding into the sand and piercing flesh and bone as if it was the easiest thing in the world. They were torn to shreds, and all that was left was blood stained metal embedded in the sand and stains that made Levy retch.

She heard the shouts of the rest of the slavers and Levy bit back a fearful scream when the dragon lifted its head and began to move, the ground trembling with each step. It growled, a low rumble in it throat as it slunk with ease over the ruins, careful not to destroy any of them.

The perfect hunting ground, she thought faintly as she pressed her back into the crumbling wall, cowering as it stepped over the very structure she'd used to hide.

Suddenly, it paused, massive head swinging around. Levy cried out when she found herself only inches away from a piercing red eye that swept over her tiny form with what looked almost like curiosity.

For the briefest of moments, Levy wanted to cry over the fact that she'd never gotten to say her farewells and apologies to her nakama - particularly Lucy and Gajeel as well as her teammates, who would probably feel the worst about her death due to the argument that had caused her to take the job.

And then there was a shout, and the dragon's attention was diverted. With a click of its jaws, the massive creature growled out a rumble that shook her. And then it moved on, continuing forward.

Levy's breath came in rushed gasps, her hands shaking violently as she hugged her legs, ignoring the blood that stained her fingers. Tears rose and fell and she gave a hysterical sob as she listened, hoping with all of her heart that Lily was okay.

Another roar filled the air, followed by another nasty attack that had her closing her eyes in a silent prayer as she suddenly lunged forward, determined to hide in a new location. Surely if it couldn't find her-

 _Crash_!

A second roar followed by a taloned metallic foot slamming into the ground only inches away had her screaming, recoiling. The dragon was back, and this time, something swung delicately between its jaws. A raspy sound escaped it as it lowered its head and Levy's heart skipped a beat when it dropped a limp shape straight into her arms.

"Lily!" she sobbed, hugging the injured yet breathing Exceed to her. He was unconscious, blood matting with fur on a certain spot on his head, and Levy quivered as she pressed a kiss to a safe place. Hesitant, she lifted her gaze to the guardian of the ruins.

She could have sworn it winked as it slid backwards suddenly, a hiss on its lips. There was a moment of silence as she watched it lower itself, the ground shaking with every movement. The dragon growled again as it leveled its eye so that it was staring straight at her, the top of its head towering dozens of feet above her.

Levy nearly jumped right out of her skin when it spoke.

"Gihi," the dragon rasped hoarsely, "You should be more careful, girly."

Levy thought she must have looked like a fish as she gawked and gaped before wheezing out in a faint voice, "You...you can...okay. Okay, I get it." She took a deep breath and then bowed her head, choosing not to confirm his words. "Um, thank you. For helping us. And not killing and eating us."

The dragon snickered. "Humans are disgusting. Tried one once. Not as good as my usual meal."A gush of air rushed over her as it turned its head to sniff at her, and she shivered in fear, tightening her grip around Lily. "Calm yerself, little one, I hold no grudge with one who didn't realize they were sent to recover a piece of a dragon's hoard."

Levy paused at that. "The treasure...it's yours?"

It grunted. "Fucker's tried dozens of times. Finally learned his lesson." The dragon exhaled again, and Levy mourned the loss of her headband as her bangs fell into her face. The dragon made a rumbling sound deep in its throat. "Go home, little one. 'Fore I change my mind." As if its attitude had changed, it raised itself from the ground and began to make its way back to the massive cavern it had been in when she'd first found it.

Levy watched silently as it slid in, the ground shaking violently and nearly knocking her off of her feet as it hit the bottom, giving a final warning roar to anyone who dared trespass on its territory.

Levy blinked once, twice, and then stared openly at the dark opening.

... _holy_ hell _, this is insane._

Biting her lip, Levy came to a sudden realization. He'd told her to go home - screw this job, she'd gladly go home at the moment - but she _couldn't_! All of their supplies was gone, Lily was hurt, and Salutem had run off, terrified and injured, taking all of their water with him.

Levy guessed that the deer-like creature had gone off and returned to Oak Town in hopes of finding someone to care for it there.

So, the solid-script mage cautiously edged towards the cave opening. "Um...sir?" she called into the darkness below, flinching when one red eye peered up at her, irritated. "We can't leave. We're stuck here. Our mount ran off with our supplies, and I don't think either of us could survive a trip that long without water."

She could create water, alright.

But it was as disgusting as Natsu eating his own flames or Gajeel eating iron _he'd_ created.

"Ain't my problem, girly."

Its loud voice echoed around her, harsh yet gentle and reluctant at the same time, and it struck Levy that perhaps it didn't want her to leave, but needed her, too. Levy's eyes softened. _It must be lonely out here...even dragons require company._

Gajeel had told her as much when he'd been suspicious of the fact that all five of the dragon slayers' dragons had disappeared at the same time.

 _"Fuckers are probably all hangin' out,"_ he'd growled accusingly, and then chomped into another piece of iron. _"Bastards."_

Levy took a deep breath before continuing. "It would be suicide. I have friends back home who will probably get worried and come looking, so...do you think it'd be alright if I stayed here for a few days? Until one of them showed up?"

And Lily needed rest. Her poor friend needed the blood cleaned away from his injury, and then she needed to figure out a way to bandage it so that she could staunch the bleeding before it got any worse.

A concussion gone wrong was not what they needed in the middle of some ancient ruins out in the desert.

"...fine. Ain't gonna be that brat, though?"

Surprised, Levy peered down at him. "What?"

"Forget it, little one. Take care of your friend."

Suspicious, Levy decided that it would probably be best if she listened to him on that matter. She went to work on hunting out water, wishing that Salutem hadn't run off with all of her heart. _Damn fearful animals!_ She preferred walking and pulling things with her own measly strength. At least she wouldn't disappear on herself.

* * *

It took nearly a half hour's search before she found a decent source of water - a small spring, on the edge of the ruins. She knelt beside it, setting Lily down as she mused over her gratitude for the rising sun. She'd just knelt to sip at the water herself, needing a drink desperately after everything that had happened, when Lily suddenly groaned.

"Lily!" she sputtered, coughing and choking on her water. She spun around to face him as he sat up, his tail twitching as he touched his head with a single paw, making a pained expression. "Ow. They packed a pretty mean punch."

Levy shakily snatched him up to hug him, and his tail twitched to comfortingly touch her back before he demanded, "Are you hurt?"

"Just a few scratches," Levy sighed, touching her injured thigh with a grimace. "But the slavers are gone. There's...Lily, there's a _dragon_. Not a guardian, but a dragon, guarding the ruins. It's a ways back...it's not like Acnologia either, I don't think, it said we could stay until someone showed up and could take us back."

Lily stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head. "There's no way...are you sure it's a dragon?"

"I know what a dragon looks like," Levy muttered, shaking her head. "It's a dragon, Lily...and we need to be careful. I hope you're right and Mira managed to convince Gajeel to come after us." Her gaze took on an expression of distress. "I don't like how this is going at all."

"I'm sure that he'll come looking eventually," Lily said firmly before grimacing as a throb of pain ran through his mind. "Let's find somewhere to rest after we get your leg checked out...I'm exhausted, and I'm sure you are, too. At least we know that we won't be attacked in our sleep…"

"At least there's that," was Levy's whispered answer as she returned to the water, grimacing already as she scooped up some water and prepared to splash it onto the scratches that she supported.

 _It could be worse, I guess. I could be dead._

* * *

The next evening found Levy exhausted and hungry. She and Lily had slept throughout the day in one of the ancient homes, curled up without so much as a blanket or pillow, and she felt her stomach twist with hunger as she splashed water on her face to wake herself up a little.

"Too bad Salutem made a run for it," she muttered, shaking her head as she swiped at the water that trickled into her face. She climbed to her feet, wishing more than ever for their supplies, and meandered back to where she'd agreed to meet Lily.

The Exceed, feeling much better after getting some rest, had flown off to check out the area, determined to find something for them to eat. And she beamed when she realized he was waiting for her, a few - to her surprise - coconuts in hand.

"Coconuts?" she questioned curiously. "It's not the beach or some tropical area…"

Lily shrugged. "There are a couple trees with them. They'll keep us fed until Gajeel arrives."

"True," she agreed with a laugh, then, grateful she'd watched Gray and Natsu have a competition over preparing them, the young solid-script mage went to work on cracking it open, determined to get to the edible portion.

She and Lily sat in peace for a while after that, Levy mourning the loss of their supplies for only a few seconds before moving on. There was no more time to worry about such matters; for now, there was something else that was weighing on her mind.

Especially as the ground began to shake.

"What are you doing?" Lily demanded as she headed off in the direction of the dragon's shelter. He flew beside her. "What is this?"

"The dragon," Levy mused, frowning. "It must be coming out for a bit. I guess it must need to find something to eat, too...I hope it doesn't decide that we're a good meal…"

Half-jogging, she made it in time to where the dragon was hauling itself out of the cavern, a low sound rumbling in its throat as it did so. Its heavy metallic hide gleamed in the light of the setting sun and Lily let himself come to sit on her shoulder, grabbing a piece of hair for balance. "Levy…"

"Sh," she mumbled back and then smiled hesitantly when the dragon's massive head swung their way, snaking over so that she was looking at a pair of massive teeth that could probably tear through Erza's adamantine armor with ease. "Um...hello?"

"You're still here?" it rumbled, sounding somewhat amused.

"Of course." Levy let her smile widen as she touched Lily's head. "We can't really go anywhere without water, so we're stuck here until a friend of ours shows up. Or at least we think it's him that's going to show up. If the S-Class mage in charge of handing out jobs has anything to say about it."

The dragon made a scratching sound in the back of its throat as it cocked its head just barely, and Levy blinked as she realized that its tongue was lolling out of its mouth, though it didn't seem to notice. "...huh," it finally grunted, turning its head away. "Tell ya what, girly, I'll make ya a deal."

Levy paused. "What?"

"Ya can tell me a damn good story - and not one of those common ones, one that I haven't heard before - and I'll get ya back to that town. Ya can tell me your answer when I get back."

Lily looked suspicious as the dragon slinked off, its heavy body moving with ease over the ruins. Levy exchanged a look with the friendly Exceed. "What do we do? Should I try and tell him a story? I mean, I've read plenty of books, surely there's something I can come up with…"

"It's worth a shot," Lily reluctantly sighed. "But you're not doing it if he decides that he wants something in return, got it? I don't want Gajeel tearing me apart for allowing you to get hurt - because no matter what he says, I know he would."

Levy giggled, thinking of the iron dragon slayer's harsh way of showing his affection for everyone. He was a kind soul deep inside, though, something she and very little other people knew. "I'm sure Gajeel will come," she said firmly. "Even if he does something to us, like eat us I'm sure Gajeel will get revenge. He won't live long enough to regret it."

"I hope you're right." Lily's tail twitched as he listened. "The dragon...the way it speaks. It reminds me of Gajeel. Do you think this is perhaps Metalicana?"

Levy didn't respond for a moment, mostly because she silently admitted that she'd been contemplating the idea herself since the night before. "I've...thought of it," she finally said, "But I'm scared to ask. What if it is Metalicana? What will we do if Gajeel does show up?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Probably try to keep him from killing a dragon."

Levy hummed her agreement.

When the dragon came back, Levy was ready. It eyed her suspiciously, that low sound in its throat as it questioned, "You accepting my deal, shorty?"

The solid-script mage decided then and there that if Gajeel wanted to tear this dragon into pieces, she was more than happy to let him. Glaring and hugging Lily to her chest, she nodded. "Yes. Thank you for offering such options...sir?"

"Sir…" The dragon snorted, as if it was amused with what she'd said. "Ain't no sirs here, little one. I am the iron dragon, Metalicana."

Levy's mouth went dry. "M-Metalicana?" she said faintly, and Lily swore softly under his breath. The dragon grunted in response, lowering itself to the ground, which shook beneath the young woman's feet. She staggered, and then caught herself before she fell, her heart thudding wildly in her chest.

"Metalicana," she repeated, and then, confusing the dragon, she began to laugh hysterically, tears of distress filling her eyes. She buried her face in her hands, hysterical laughter turning into sobs as her emotions roiled up and exploded, refusing to give her a single moment of peace.

Lily flicked his tail, wings appearing as he shifted himself off of her shoulder to land on the ground. They vanished as soon as his paws touched down. "Forgive her," he sighed to the utterly lost dragon. Metalicana's massive head turned in his direction. No longer concerned that they'd be hurt or eaten by him, Lily gave a slight smile. "I believe the stress of the slavers and coming across another dragon has gotten to her."

Metalicana snorted and rumbled, "I suppose that it understandable." Metalicana ducked his head, suddenly ripping into the meal he'd managed to find: a rather large portion of iron. He devoured it with a hunger that made the Exceed decide that Gajeel must have gotten his hunger for silverware from the manner-less iron dragon

After Levy had regathered the fragments of her mind, she took a deep breath and whispered, "I can't believe this...you're Metalicana."

Metalicana made a sound of amusement as he said, "You have heard of me."

Levy flushed in response. "We're good friends with your son. Gajeel...he's been looking for you so long-"

Metalicana paused in eating his meal to stare at her. He extended his head so that his nose was only inches away, his breath blowing her hair out of her face. "...I have not spoken that name since I left seven and a half years ago." His voice lowered. "Does my son hate me? I have worried about it."

 _"Bastard could die for all I care!"_

 _"Who the fuck cares about where they went, Salamander?! They're gone! Left us! Abandoned us! Screw 'em!"_

 _"Stop yer tears, kid, they ain't comin' back."_

All statements the iron dragon slayer had snarled aloud, yet Levy smiled sweetly as she said, "No. He doesn't hate you. He claims that he does, but he gets just as excited as one of our other dragon slayers when there's news of a dragon."

"He proudly uses the magic you taught him," Lily added, watching with care. While this was Metalicana, there must have been a reason that he left.

And that did not bode well when his son was the one coming after them if Mira was the one behind their rescue.

Metalicana practically purred. "That damn brat. He wear that stupid look he calls a smile?"

"All the time." Levy's voice was fond, gentle as she spoke of Gajeel, and Lily hid his smile at the tone.

Mira wasn't the only one who noticed the feelings and connections between certain mages of Fairy Tail. And Mira certainly hadn't seen the nervous looks Gajeel wore when Levy didn't return to the guildhall when she said she would, or the worry when he was told she was hurt or sick.

Metalicana was pleased with the information that Levy had supplied for him, as if relieved to hear that Gajeel was doing well. He returned to tearing into his iron, grunting when iron splinters flew everywhere and playfully snapping at them with his jaws, like some kind of playful dog.

Levy could only stare; it wasn't every day you came across a friendly dragon - especially after spending your days thinking they were all like Acnologia.

Of course, from the way that Grandeeney and Igneel had been fondly described, Levy had known they weren't _all_ that evil. But still, Acnologia was a dragon that would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life, and that was something she was absolutely sure about.

Suddenly, glowing red eyes turned on her. Levy tensed as Lily stepped closer to lean on her leg in silent comfort, reassuring. "You promised a story, girlie. Just 'cause ya know that brat doesn't mean I'mma give you freebies."

Levy opened her mouth to fire back a retort and then stopped, because she knew that there was no point to arguing with a creature that could swallow her in one gulp. Hesitant, Levy seated herself on the hot sand, wincing at how it burned her and her injury. "Um...one you haven't heard…"

"Perhaps," Lily suggested, "You could speak of how Gajeel came to join Fairy Tail?"

Metalicana looked intrigued by the idea but the shudder that ran down Levy's spine was answer enough. "No," she mumbled, "I don't want to talk about that. I've moved on from that, and so has Gajeel. We're not going back to that, Lily. I'm sorry."

He patted her knee in understanding. "Then another time. I'm sure Metalicana is interested in anything about his son."

"Indeed," the dragon rumbled, metallic head glinting blindingly in the sun as he dropped it completely with a thud. Levy was more than aware of the curve he made around them. The lack of exit for them concerned her, but she pushed on anyways.

"I guess," she murmured, "I can tell you what happened with the Grand Magic Games a few months back…"

A rumble left the back of Metalicana's throat. "Dragons. The Eclipse Gate. We are aware of all that have to do with such damaging troubles, little one. I know exactly what happened that night, and I am proud of my son for what he accomplished."

Levy was taken aback by that, but even more surprised when the dragon demanded, "Speak, fairy girl, I wanna know what happened from the mages' point of view. A reason was never given for the despicable actions of whoever opened the damn gate."

Lily growled himself. "The ones who opened the gate were tricked into it by a friend of our guild's. A future version of him, anyways. It was a messy adventure."

"Messy adventure…" Metalicana's teeth were bared in a grin that sent chills through them both. "I expect to hear interesting things then. Start speaking, little one, and perhaps I'll consider returning you to your guild."

* * *

 _Well, look who showed up! I missed the big metallic bastard after SR, so here he is again! ;) Thanks to reviewers (orangealuminumcan, Guest, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!)  
_


	4. The Dragon's Decision

**. Oculto .**

* * *

It was amazing, the ridiculously massive amounts of iron that Gajeel could smell upon stepping out of the inn he'd been staying in. He'd arrived only a few days before, and had gone in search of Levy's client alongside a few other informants the morning after his arrival.

She'd arrived safely despite Mira's worry. More than safely. She and Lily had enjoyed themselves for a little bit as they'd hunted for supplies, apparently. He'd been suspicious of the client, disapproving of the way he'd muttered under his breath, but nothing had been out of order. And then there was the man who'd loaned out his precious animal, named Salutem, to the girl. The old man had reassured that Salutem was bred for harsh conditions and would take care of Levy.

So, after all of that, Gajeel had wandered east, in search of some iron deposits he could mine some food from. He'd found plenty, and by the time he'd come back into town, he'd been pretty content with the bag of heavy material at his side.

It had been when he was making his way back to his room at the inn that the iron dragon slayer heard the screams of surprise and the sharp clipping and clopping of hooves striking hard cobblestone before striking the dirt roads that crissed and crossed through Oak Town. Gajeel paused to look over his shoulder with a grunt, dark eyes seeking the commotion. His actions were slow, lazy, and he cursed the heat and his somewhat reptilian ways for making him want to simply flop down and just lay there.

He cocked his head as the sound came closer and he grumbled as he turned to face it, wary. "The fuck?" was all he could say before he was nearly barreled over by a frightened animal. It was rather large, taller than he, and he just barely managed to grab the reins on its bridle with his fingertips.

It screamed in terror as it reared up, striking out with sharp hooves, and he simply let iron scales ripple across him to protect him from the attack. The second the animal hit the ground, he shortened the reins, trapping it there.

"The hell happened to you?" he muttered, taking in its sweaty and trembling hides, its heavy panting, and its blood slicked flank. Its antlered head lowered, a low moan escaping it just a second before it collapsed.

"Shit." His hands gentled as he examined the arrow that was sticking out of its body, and its eyes rolled in fear when he gently dug out the arrowhead. While he may have been a rather rough person in general, he wasn't going to make an animal suffer anymore than necessary.

"There. Fuckin' crazy creature." He climbed to his feet, pulling the reins so that the exhausted animal knew to get up. It did so reluctantly, legs trembling beneath it. He examined it with curiosity, taking in the saddle it still wore, the awkward piece of broken wood that dangled from a strap, telling him that it had pulled a cart at some point. Sharpened teeth brushed against his flesh as it gratefully touched its lips against his arm, and he rolled his eyes.

He was running a hand down one of its legs, expertly seeking out anymore injuries, when there was a cry from one of the people who had come to watch. His eyes darted up as he straightened, startled to see that it had come from a horrified older man - the one he'd spoken to about Levy the day before. "That's Salutem!"

Gajeel immediately swore and narrowed his eyes as the animal gave a low moan, its head snaking around to look for the man who'd spoken. He limped over, and cradled Salutem's head in his wrinkled hands, crooning reassuringly to the exhausted creature. "Oh, my poor friend, you're hurt…"

"...this is the thing Levy took with her," Gajeel realized suddenly before growling deep in his throat, the sound scaring Salutem even further. But the old man managed to soothe him enough that he simply stood there, trembling. "The fuck happened? Thought you said this thing could protect her!"

The old man looked nervous as he shivered. "Perhaps she upset the guardian beast?" he suggested. His gaze turned on the dragon slayer pleadingly as he begged, "Please, you must make sure she's okay! I could bear it if she was hurt because of me…"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't be your fault," he growled, "Would be some others'." His included. He turned on his heel, bag of iron heavy on his shoulder as he jerked a finger in some random person's direction. "You. Get me some kind of fucking animal that'll get me across the desert to those ruins as quickly as possible."

The man he'd pointed at paused, hesitant, but a snarl directed at him sent him running off to do as he'd been told. Gajeel clenched his jaw, crimson eyes deadly as he ordered a pair of women to get him supplies that he'd need, and then he told another person to send word to his guild that something had happened and that he was going to investigate, but that he wanted another mage arriving in Oak Town as soon as possible to look into what the client might be up to."

To his surprise, it took merely half an hour for all of that to be done. Someone led a horse up to him, a rather powerful looking creature that whickered uneasily, and Gajeel grunted in gratitude, tossing a good chunk of money to him. The old man watched anxiously throughout all of this, barely able to support Salutem's weight when the deer leaned against him.

When he had everything he needed, Gajeel glanced at the old man and said gruffly, "Shrimp'll be fine. Ain't yer fault, old man." Then he heaved himself onto the saddled horse, adjusting the reins and thanking the heavens that riding an animal was different from riding in a vehicle.

Otherwise, he'd be enjoying a very long walk.

Gajeel paused to make sure he had everything and then dug his heels in. The horse charged forward, snorting unhappily at the roughness of which Gajeel rode. He ignored it, growling warningly when it tossed its head, ready to act up.

He wasn't in the goddamn mood for it.

And the horse better listen up.

Or else.

He was concerned. About the midget and his cat. Both must have been hurt or somethin' similar. He growled under his breath. "Dammit, woman, this is why you're not allowed to go on missions alone."

There was a good freakin' reason Mira had wanted her to take someone with her, especially on a job like this where there was apparently some guardian they'd not been aware of until their arrival.

Gajeel paused suddenly.

Guardians didn't generally fire normal badly made arrows into the hindquarters of a person's mount like that.

 _Fuck,_ he was going to throttle the petite mage when he found her!

* * *

Levy's throat was dry by the time she finished speaking, telling the story of the Grand Magic Games from as far as she knew - with Lily's help, naturally. She'd started with what she'd been doing at the time that the dragons had shown up, and had finished with the party at the palace afterwards.

The dragon had listened intently throughout the entire story. He'd asked few questions - the name of the dragons that she knew of - and had even cursed a few of them for their stupidity. He'd been proud of his son's accomplishment at holding his own against a dragon out to kill him, even while injured from previous battles.

When she was done, Metalicana gave a breathy and screeching sound that made her flinch in discomfort. It was like nails on a chalkboard.

"Interesting," he muttered, red eyes watching her intently.

"So...will you help us get back to Oak Town?" Levy said hopefully.

Metalicana shifted uneasily, his tail sweeping around and managing to catch an old building, smashing it to pieces. That movement alone told her what his answer would be.

"No. I would like to take ya back to my brat, little one," he grumbled, "But you've found me. Igneel ain't lettin' us out about just yet. Ya can't go spitting out my location. And while I wouldn't mind a promise that ya wouldn't, Igneel would be pissed if I let ya go beforehand, so I can't."

Levy went still, and then exchanged a horrified look with Lily, who looked like he was getting bothered by this declaration. "But...can we at least-"

"Ya can stay," Metalicana continued as if she hadn't spoken, his massive body shifting as he stood. "Took care of the brat, can take care of ya just as well. Ya can hang out in my den. Easy enough to hide when people come lookin'. Doesn't happen often though, so ya can come out a lot."

"We're not some kind of pet," Lily spat, tail lashing. "We have friends and family who are probably worried already! Not to mention-"

Metalicana's eyes flashed with irritation as he growled, the sound vibrating their bones. "Don't test me, cat, I'm already doin' what I can. 'Sides, I'll return ya myself when I can. Shouldn't be more than a decade. Igneel's finishin' up what he's up to. Gotta wait for his freaky brat to finish growin' into his power, s'all."

"A d-decade…" Levy felt tears boiling in her eyes, knowing better than to think they could even think of escaping the dragon.

She was only proven right when he warned, "You try runnin' and I'll go to the nearest town and kill everyone there, ya hear me? I don't want to, but I will."

"Can't we even...can't I even send a letter back?" Levy's voice cracked. "They might think we're dead. Please. Please don't do this to us. We won't say anything, not even to each other. Please, Metalicana."

The iron dragon made a soft "tch", uncertain, and she gave him a pleading look. "Sorry, kid," he growled, "Ain't my decision-"

"Food."

Both human and dragon's attention snapped to Lily with surprise, and he smirked, a smug look on his face. "You can't very well keep us here permanently. We require more sustenance than coconuts, and unlike Gajeel, we can't eat iron, so you have to let us go to the nearby town for some supplies. Besides, we've lost all of our belongings. There's a few things in there that will need to be replaced."

Levy wanted to cry and hug her Exceed friend tightly to her chest and never let go of him for this brilliance.

Metalicana growled irritably, glaring at them now, and if it was any other dragon, Levy would have been scared for her life.

In this case, she was confident that they'd be okay, even after angering the creature.

"Fuckin' details... _fine_." Metalicana lifted himself to his full height, his head towering and hanging above them, what must have been hundreds of feet in the air. "I will take you to town to find supplies, and that is all. No letters will be delivered."

Levy did the math quickly in her head and readily agreed, her eyes thoughtful, despite Lily's protests.

If she'd done the math right…

 _Someone_ from Fairy Tail would have arrived in Oak Town days ago. Surely that would help them? And even if no one was there, she could secretly ask someone to send word of what had happened.

She'd explain to Lily later, when there wasn't a nosy dragon listening to every word she spoke.

Relieved, Levy stood, brushing sand from her lap and grimacing at the red tinge that was appearing on her skin; she'd pick some aloe while they were in town, too,something for sunburn. She wasn't used to the blazing sun, and she felt a flash of sympathy for her dark-furred companion.

He must have been exhausted just from stepping into the sunlight. Gentle, she plucked him into her arms and hugged the Exceed tightly. "When are we going?" she asked hesitantly. "It's too cold to travel at night…"

"Tch," the grumpy metallic dragon growled, turning his head away and inspecting the cavern that he called his den. "Tomorrow. When the sun is just beginning to set. Should be enough time to get there. Camp over night, and ya freaks can get yer damn supplies the next day. Ya have one day and one day only."

"We understand." One day would be more than enough for her plan to go through.

Levy watched in silence as Metalicana grumbled and slid back into his cavern, front half disappearing first, followed by his rear half. The tail slithered in and hit the ground with a thud that shook the sandy ground.

And then she turned, limping in the direction of their only source of water, Metalicana's loud voice rang out a final time. "Do not try and escape, little one. I will destroy that town, and then I will find ya and rip ya to shreds. Doesn't matter to me if ya are friends with my brat, ya hear me?"

"I hear you," she murmured, and then continued on her way.

"I don't know what we expected when he declared himself to be Metalicana," Lily muttered. "He is no better than the guardian we expected to come across.."

"At least we don't have to worry about being eaten," she told him, and then made sure that they wouldn't be overheard. After doing so, she licked her lips and told him, "I have a plan. We may not be able to leave Metalicana's sight, but...I know who we'll be paying a visit to when we arrive."

"Who?" Lily's tail twitched.

"The man who lent us Salutem. One, I need to apologize for losing the animal he entrusted us with, and two...he's kind. I'm going to ask him to send word to our guild that we're alright, but won't be able to return home for what might be years. They'll send people to look for us, naturally, _plus_ there should already be someone - whether it be Gajeel or anyone else - in town already, so we might run into them." Levy beamed proudly at herself. "What do you think?"

Lily purred his approval. "I think that you've once again proven yourself as the smartest female in the guild. Let us just hope such a plan works, Levy, or we won't be doing much of anything to get word to the guild."

Levy only gave a fairly heavy sigh. "They'll never let me go without another mage ever again."

* * *

The night zipped by peacefully alongside the next morning and before Levy knew it, they were ready to go to town. The sun was blazing harshly down on them and Levy wanted to show it a rude gesture.

 _How dare it make me freeze in the middle of the night and then kill me with heat during the day!_

Metalicana was still in the cavern that he usually stayed in. Levy found herself peeking into it, ignoring the painful throbbing of her wounded thigh as she cautiously looked in, Lily always prepared to leap into action and yank her back. The dragon was devouring another rather large piece of iron, this time hidden away, and it was curiosity that got her asking, "Metalicana?"

The dragon's head seemed to pop up, and despite being upset with him over what had happened, Levy fought back a giggle. He looked like a gopher, or something similar. "What ya want, human?"

Another giggle had to be stifled before she asked, "Do you have books?"

"My hoard is full of ancient tomes that no one has seen in centuries," he boasted, and then gave her an accusing look with one eye. "Why? Ya trying to steal my stuff?"

Levy gave a sharp laugh. "And where would I take it? No, I just...if we really are stuck here, I like to read, so...at least Lily and I won't be bored out of our minds…" She pushed her blue locks out of her eyes with a saddened look. She was excited to have found the dragon, truly excited, but…

She just wanted to go _home_.

"Gihi." Metalicana suddenly hauled his massive body up and out of his cavern, and Levy scampered out of his way, squeaking when a massive foot nearly smashed her. The dragon didn't seem to notice, and his metallic hide gleamed brightly in the sand, his form taking up the sky around them so that anyone could have seen for miles around.

And then wings snapped into view and Levy realized that Metalicana was even larger than she'd originally thought.

But with his wings hidden away, tucked against his sides, he looked a hell of lot smaller than he did now.

Levy jumped when the rather crabby dragon lowered his head to peer at her with a sharp red eye. Lily rested himself upon her shoulder, watching the dragon with an unimpressed look. "Gihi, you're tiny," he said suddenly. "Like a shrimp. Or a midget. Cat, think ya can get her to between my wings? Ya are gonna have to hold on. Tight."

"Well it's safe to say we know where Gajeel got his stupid nicknames," Lily grumbled before wings appeared at his back. He lifted Levy, and Levy winced when she was placed onto the hard metallic back of the dragon Metalicana. His hide was like iron - which, she supposed it actually was - and it seared nastily at her flesh in the sun.

"Alright?" Lily questioned as he dropped into her lap, prepared to use her as a source of safety.

"Yeah," she sighed, looking around in preparation. _What do I grab on to?_

He wasn't made up of scales like the other dragons she'd seen were. No, Metalicana's body was made up of large plates that carefully overlayed the other in a nearly impossible to penetrate armor. And they were razor sharp, too, she realized a moment later, when she nicked herself on one.

"What do we grab?" Levy demanded.

"Anything," Metalicana's unhelpful response came before he suddenly beat the wings at the air, and Levy squeaked in shock as he prepared to lift off the ground. It was a moment before he was actually airborne, and then another before he was beginning to move forward, massive wings moving fiercely to get his heavy body into the air. The sound was like thunder in Levy's ears as she was jostled, and she scrambled to hold on.

"I don't like this," she whispered aloud.

Not that anyone could hear her.

She'd much rather have been on the ground or in Lily's safe paws.

Eventually, Metalicana was easily flying over the desert, the nasty wind of a dragon flying through the air keeping the heat away from them. Levy clung on for dear life, terror making her fearful for her health, and as he flew, the dragon opened his large jaws and _roared._

Levy winced, wishing she could clap her hands over her ears without flying off and getting herself killed as the dragon rocketed forward, suddenly speeding up. What was the point of roaring when there was no dragons nearby?!

A thought suddenly struck her.

Perhaps to inspire fear in the citizens of Oak Town? To keep them away from his den and hoard, along with warning anyone else off from coming near the place. That seemed reasonable; she remembered Acnologia's roar. If she'd heard that now, she'd turn and run the other way, even if there were innocent people getting hurt because she knew that there was no hope in regards to saving them.

It was nearly nightfall before something in her stomach jolted. She yelped as they suddenly dropped, the wings tucking in just barely so that they began to descend. Metalicana lazily drifted lower and lower until they suddenly struck sandy earth, and Levy gave a shriek of surprise as she tumbled straight off, Lily just barely catching her before she hit the ground.

"Gihi, ya should have held on better, girly." Metalicana swung his head around, hiding his wings against his body again. Levy blinked as breath rustled her hair, making it even messier than it was before. "Now ya know better."

Chilled by the night air that was quickly taking over the heat of the day, Levy hugged Lily to her chest and shivered. "Um, I know you said we were going to get our supplies tomorrow, but could...could I maybe rent out a room _tonight_? I'm cold and have no blankets."

He grunted. "S'long as you come back by evening tomorrow, I don't care." The ground shook as he dropped, his heavy body curling up on the ground and a raspy sound leaving his nostrils. He practically purred after a moment. "My brat's around. He won't find me, but he's around."

Hope flashed through Levy. _Gajeel!_ He was nearby! Perhaps she could run into him by accident...she was sure she'd cry if she found him. For multiple reasons. For the safety he'd offer, because she was hopeless by herself. And he was kind of a dragon slayer, so that helped. Lily would be in a better mood if they found him, and she wouldn't be so frantic about being considered dead by her guild.

"Don't get too hopeful, girly," Metalicana muttered, "Just 'cause he's hangin' around doesn't mean I can't leave. Dragons have many places they keep their hoards."

Levy hadn't even thought of that. Biting her lip, she reassured, "We'll be back by tomorrow evening. Right, Lily?"

"Right," Lily muttered, clearly not happy about the matter.

After a brief moment of the dragon glaring at them, he grunted, dismissing her, and Levy turned away. She could see the lights of Oak Town, only a few miles away. "Lily, can you get us there as quickly as possible?"

"Of course." She released him and his wings snapped out again.

Levy paused to glance up at the upcoming moon, which was waning with each and every night, and her heart ached.

She wanted to go home and abandon a mission more than she'd ever wanted to before.

* * *

"Shit," Gajeel growled, studying the space around him as he let the horse he'd been using rest, crimson eyes sharp with irritation. The horse was exhausted, and was dozing with its head lowered after receiving some water. "This is why I walk everywhere. Fuckin' critters can't keep up with me or my cat."

He inhaled sharply, but was disappointed by nothing in particular standing out.

It had been memories, he guessed. Memories that had made him think he'd heard a familiar roar that had often times been a shout for him to come back or risk his father's wrath. It brought back other memories he'd nearly forgotten himself, and he felt a pain he hadn't felt in years fill him.

He hated Metalicana. He truly did hate the dragon for leaving him like he had, for letting him fall into the darkness that had nearly devoured him whole.

But he loved him, too. He was the only one that he remembered loving, and the last one that he'd chosen to love, too, because he'd only been abandoned for feeling such strong affection.

Of course, now there was the strong affection he felt for people like Levy and his cat. He was rather fond of Wendy and the blonde celestial mage, who often times encouraged him in certain matters. Like inviting Levy on a job, or convincing him to apologize for saying something that had upset the bookworm.

But he doubted that he'd ever love anyone like he'd loved his father. It was just the way he felt; he wasn't like Natsu, latched onto his partner with a bond stronger than glue, or like Bisca and Alzack, who'd gotten married while they were all trapped away on Tenrou.

He was Gajeel freaking Redfox, not anyone else.

Still.

It didn't mean it didn't hurt.

He tore a bite out of his iron, glancing at the darkening sky.

It was getting cold. Luckily, he didn't feel such things usually. He'd spent ages in the mountains with Metalicana before they'd moved to the much harsher conditions of the deserts after running out of iron to work with. Gajeel remembered having the material shoved down his throat until he learned how to eat it like a proper dragon slayer.

Grumbling, Gajeel made sure the horse was tied, and then flopped back, throwing an arm over his eyes.

He'd rest for the night, he decided, no point in exhausting himself.

As desperate as he was to figure out where the shrimp had gone though…

He was willing to take the risk.

* * *

 _Yay for some more Metalicana! I hope you all enjoyed and thanks to reviewers (Mskumiko24, The King of Ash and Roses, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) alongside those who favorited and followed!  
_


	5. Solid-Script's Riddle

**. Oculto .**

* * *

Levy held her arms out to catch Lily when his wings disappeared, her eyes seeking out any familiar faces in Oak Town, but she came up with nothing particularly interesting other than a rather irritable looking man that glared their way as he walked past.

Her fingers tightened just barely when she realized that this would be the only place they saw until their jailor freed them. "Lily," she began, but before she could continue, a voice cried out.

"Momma," a child squeaked, "Look, it's a mage from Fairy Tail!"

Levy's head snapped around, and she smiled kindly when a mother blushed and told her child to stop pointing in her direction. She moved over, still holding Lily, and crouched to greet the eager child with a smile. "Hi, there," she said gently as Lily reassured the mother that it was alright.

The boy looked ecstatic. "Hi!" he squeaked, "You're from Fairy Tail, right? I watched you guys on the lacrima at the Grand Magic Games! You did real good against those weird Sabertooth guys."

Levy didn't know whether or not to be pleased with that comment. Still, she giggled and winked at the boy, aware that she wasn't exactly in the best of conditions. She was messy, probably reeking from sweat and days in the sun despite washing herself as best as she could, and her hair was sticking up everywhere. She was covered in scrapes and bumps, her thigh throbbed an angry red - she supposed she might have an infection, even.

"Here," she offered, writing a word in the air. A Fairy Tail emblem made out of the word appeared and dropped into his hands. "You can have it as a gift from a Fairy Tail mage, okay?"

He gasped in astonishment, and then beamed at his flushed mother. "Thank you, miss!"

The mother cleared her throat and then indicated the pair. "You're...are you the mages that went missing? One of your others came racing through here the other day, searching for you, and when that crazy animal came back and nearly ran us over, he left to find you."

"Gajeel," Lily said immediately. "Piercings? Evil looking?"

They paused to look at the Exceed.

He shrugged. "He does look evil sometimes. I suppose it comes from his past."

"Yes," the woman giggled. "It was him. I don't think he was very evil-looking, simply worried about you both." She peered at the solid-script mage. "Is he your boyfriend, perhaps?"

Levy turned the color of a lobster. "N-no," she stammered, "Nothing like that-"

"Momma," the boy suddenly said hopefully, "Can they eat dinner with us tonight? Please?"

She pressed her lips together and then smiled hesitantly. "If they'd like to and don't eat like that one mage that passed through does, then yes, they are welcome to. If you want, of course," she added, glancing to a relieved Levy. "I don't suppose you have money for renting out a room, but I'm sure that friend of yours wouldn't mind if you borrowed his room? He was staying at the only inn in Oak Town, you could talk to the owners and figure out where he was staying."

"Thank you," Levy said gratefully, standing. She blinked when she realized the boy was nearly at her waist and then sighed, accepting her shortness for the who knows many time. She'd accepted it long ago; there was nothing she could do to get taller.

Nothing that she recommended doing, mind you.

"This way," the woman said firmly. "Come along, Kenai, we have to get dinner started for your father if there are going to be a few more people there…"

"Kay!" the boy said cheerfully, then hurried after his mother. Levy exchanged a look with Lily before stepping after them, her fingers tightening around him. "Gajeel headed for the ruins to find us," she murmured, her gaze darkening. "We won't be there."

"No," Lily agreed with a heavy sigh. "We won't. But Metalicana won't be there either, which means we won't have to be hauled elsewhere."

"You know," Levy muttered, "From what Natsu's spewed about Igneel, he doesn't seem like the sort to just trap us. Dragons are powerful creatures. Surely Metalicana could have performed some kind of memory spell. And shouldn't they have magic that send you walking the other way? I think he _let us_ get that close and know who he was on purpose, Lily."

Lily's fur bristled at that thought. "Bastard!" he growled. "If he did that, I'll slay him myself."

"No you won't," Levy giggled, soothingly scratching behind one of his ears and earning a loud purr for her efforts. "I think he was lonely, Lily, think of how lonely he must be after years and years of sitting in that den alone without allowing anyone to come near you...I'd be lonely, too."

"He didn't have to threaten to destroy and harm everyone here if we didn't go back," he grumbled.

"True," she agreed with a sigh, and then smiled playfully when the boy - Kenai - glanced back at them eagerly. "Metalicana is a selfish dragon, though. Just like his son. We have to remember that. He's the dragon who raised Gajeel without any outside contact, from what I can tell, so I think if we act like we do towards Gajeel for the most part, it'll be okay."

Lily snorted. "I feel like I'll be devoured then."

"I'll protect you. At least it's not any of those dragons that came through the Eclipse Gate, right?" She gave a dry smile. "Then we'd be in trouble, because there aren't any dragon slayers around right now to deal with the matter."

"There is that good thing," he mused in agreement. Lily's attention turned to the boy. "So," he said, "Just what are we going to be eating tonight? Nothing with coconuts, I hope?"

* * *

Gajeel could see why she'd chosen to go to the ruins for a job. They were her kind of thing, old and full of untold hidden stories. To her, anyway. To him, they were a pile of old rubble that held no clues on where the shrimp and his cat were.

"Damn it," he rumbled, inhaling sharply, but a magic around the place seemed to nullify and destroy any of the scents that might have crossed his nose. He couldn't even smell the hints of fresh water from the oasis not too far away!

He wandered through the ruins after making sure the horse wasn't going anywhere. He was hunting, a dragon prowling for what had been taken, and he was finding _nothing_. Literally nothing but sand, ruins, and more fucking sand.

Growling, Gajeel spun on his heel - and then paused, a tang of iron touching the tip of his tongue. Interested, he followed the scent, and then stopped beside a dip in the sand. It was massive, stretching what seemed like miles, but wasn't too strange. Certainly not strange enough to catch his attention for more than a second.

What was strange, however, were the bloody shrapnel pieces in the sand. He knelt, brushing the sand away and plucking the iron up to investigate, grateful for the headband he'd put on -a gift from his shrimp. It kept sweat from falling into his eyes as he guessed that it had been days since the person had been cut.

Or obliterated, from the looks of it.

Grumbling in confusion, the iron dragon slayer made his way towards the nearby oasis for a break, wanting some water - and then stopped dead in his tracks.

There, caught in some rubble from the ruins, was something that showed a brilliant contrast with the sand. The white fabric lay there, still and stained with blood, sand dusting over it from the breeze that had popped up overnight.

He recognized it immediately.

He snatched it up as soon as he reached it, his nose near the cloth in the hope that what he thought it was wasn't it. But it was, and his hand fisted around the material. Levy's headband...with her blood on it. His head snapped up, crimson eyes seeking the solid-script mage, or any sign that she was nearby and alive.

"Oi!" he shouted suddenly. "Levy! Lily! You here?"

There was no response, and he swore hoarsely, tying the material around his belt before inhaling sharply, determined to figure out what had happened. But there was nothing to be found, so he made his way over to the oasis that he'd found earlier, frowning when he found discarded coconuts.

So they'd been alive long enough to eat something after Salutem had run off...right?

Bewildered now, Gajeel paused to cup some water in his hand and tilt it back into his hand, ignoring the strange taste. He recognized it, though. There was iron in the water. Actually, there was iron _everywhere_ when he looked for it.

But he wasn't looking for it, and he climbed to his feet. Scowling angrily, Gajeel searched for any sign of the fierce guardian beast he'd been told of, but he found nothing of that either.

Other than the blood and Levy's headband, it was as if no one had been near the area for going on centuries, and it pissed him off beyond belief. Grumbling, the iron dragon slayer paused to grab a piece of iron, and then made his way back over to where he'd left the horse. The dozing animal nickered as he approached, and he tiredly patted its neck.

"Never again," he growled as he untied it, glancing at the sky. He had a few hours before the sun went down, and he wanted to start heading back to send word to the guild. He had a strong nose, but Natsu's was even better, and he knew it. And he'd heard that Cana was pretty good at tracking people.

Surely they'd have some sort of sign that his cat and the solid-script mage wasn't actually-

He refused to think the thought. There was no way they were dead. Lily was strong, and so was Levy, who had been nominated to fight for the rank of S-Class.

He wasn't one to think of such things lightly. He believed in proving strength, and both had done it a thousand times over.

Levy may not have been as physically strong as some of the mages in Fairy Tail, but she was stronger than anyone intellectually, and she would have used that brain of hers to get them out of tricky situations that might have arisen. Lily was smart, too, and Gajeel was certain that they wouldn't have been taken out by a single blow.

They had survived _Acnologia_ , the dragon of the apocalypse.

What couldn't they survive?

Adjusting leathers and what not to make sure that he wouldn't fall off while heading back towards Oak Town, Gajeel spared a final look around with his sharp crimson eyes. But there was nothing amiss, to his frustrations. He _wanted something_ to be amiss so that he could figure it out and hopefully find a clue to their disappearing.

He gave a growl as he finally hauled himself onto the horse's back and turned it in the direction of Oak Town. He'd stocked up on water, he had food for the horse - he couldn't bring himself to eat during times like this - and he was ready to fight if need be.

Actually, he was kind of itching for one of those desert wyverns to make an appearance.

He could use a fight right now.

* * *

"I'll help you with dishes," Levy offered in gratitude as soon as they'd finished eating, her stomach full and her lips curved into a smile. She heard a giggle from a room over as Lily mocked the boy for something he'd done in their current board game, and shook her head.

As big and fierce as Lily pretended to be, he was nearly as childish as the iron dragon slayer he lived with.

The woman - whose name was Ell - smiled in relief. "Thank you, Levy," she said gratefully, gratitude showing on her face. "Kenai sure makes a lot of dishes."

"He's a growing child," Levy laughed, her dark eyes amused as she gathered up some of the dishes.

"Yes, well I think he's trying to copy that fire mage of yours that passed through about a month ago. I swear, that man eats more than I've ever seen anyone ever eat…"

"Natsu," Levy recognized. "He's a dragon slayer, and he's obsessed with food...sorry about that, he must have eaten up half of the town's food."

"He tried," Ell mused. "That blonde girlfriend of his managed to slow him enough that we could hide what was left." She giggled to herself, and then made her way into the kitchen. Levy followed her. "Your guild has inspired my son, you know, he aims to join you all some day. I can't say I approve as a mother...being in a guild can be so dangerous, but it's a good goal for him to set."

"Fairy Tail takes care of its members," Levy said with a firm tone, her eyes determined. "If he does ever join us, we'd take very good care of him. Who knows, perhaps he'll find some good friends and form a team." Another squeal caught her attention and she giggled before her gaze darkened. "I have a question for you, if you don't mind…"

"Shoot."

"Would you be willing to find our nakama when he gets back to town?" Levy glanced at her with a pleading look. "We can't stay longer than tomorrow evening, and...he won't make it back before then. Would you tell him that we're alright, that something's come up, and that...that we won't be able to come home for a while?"

The other woman searched her gaze before crossing her arms. "I'll tell him, but...why? Why are you unable to return home? I know your guild prides itself on being a family."

Levy's heart twisted. "We do. We're family, and I love them all very much, but...something's come up that I don't dare to talk about, and I can't go back. Nor can Lily. So please. Tell him that I said we're safe, but I don't want him coming after us. Tell him I'm sorry."

"I will," she murmured, frowning. "But...are you sure that you don't want to wait for him?"

"I do." Levy didn't hesitate to admit it. "I'd love to wait for him, but...well, if we did, apparently Oak Town would be torn apart. I don't know if that would really happen, but Lily and I wouldn't want to risk it, so…" She paused to think for a few moments. "I'll try and see if I can get him to figure out what happened through a puzzle of sorts." She searched the empty space for a moment before grinning.

"Tell him this: _'To enable nearness, risk our unhappiness, my dear sweet.'_ And then inform him that it is a riddle that he must solve." Levy clasped her fingers thoughtfully. "He's Gajeel, so I think it'll take him quite some time, but...I'm sure he'll figure it out eventually. If all else fails, he'll go to the others for help."

Ell sighed softly. "If you're sure, I'll do as you instruct. Please, though, be safe. Whatever is threatening you would not be the only one to destroy Oak Town...I feel as if a dragon slayer's rage would tear it apart just as much."

She only smiled secretively and wiped her hands dry. "He wouldn't. He knows it would upset the guild to do so, though that's never stopped some of our other mages before. I trust him, too. I trust him not to do anything to hurt your town's population."

Ell only shook her head, refusing to say more about the matter. "'To enable nearness, risk our unhappiness, my dear sweet,'" she recited. "That sounds more like a sad letter to a lover than a riddle to a fellow member of Fairy Tail. Are you sure that you're not secretly his girlfriend?"

Levy flushed a brilliant red and looked away, refusing to meet Ell's amused gaze. "Um, no, we're...we're not that close. We're just friends. He was my partner when we went to do some S-Class exams. He saved my life several times over the time that he's been in Fairy Tail, and he's Lily's partner." She took a deep breath. "But we're not like that."

Ell watched her quietly before murmuring, "Perhaps, this is just a suggestion, of course...you seem to be rather fond of this Gajeel. Perhaps you should attempt to see how he feels? I love my husband, but we nearly lost one another when he waited too long to admit his feelings for me years back. It would hurt you far more to not have tried at all.

Levy didn't think her face had ever been as red as it was now. She waved her hands in a flustered way. "I-I mean, I...he's not...h-he's not really looking f-for that, and, um, I'm s-sure he'd prefer s-someone who doesn't r-require someone else t-to go on jobs, you know?"

There was a small laugh from Ell. "Whatever you say," she teased gently.

Levy hurried out of the kitchen after that, determined to find Lily and maybe even join in his and Kenai's game, a feeling of misery flashing through her face. What point was there to even trying to get such a response from him? If Metalicana had his way….

Her fingers clenched into fists even as she smiled and settled beside Kenai and Lily, who complained about cheating children. She forced herself to laugh and chide Kenai gently for cheating, and the boy smirked in a cheeky sort of way before moving his piece on the game board.

Levy found herself named the referee and had no issue with such a title as she watched them play. Someone had to make sure Lily didn't cheat again, after all, though she did let it slide when the Exceed sneakily edged his piece forward an extra step.

Her lips were curved into a grin as she decided then and there that he was a little cheater when it came to games.

 _Whenever we finally go home, I think I'm going to ask Gajeel if he wants to play one of these with Lily and I. Or poker. I'll make sure to keep him from challenging me to strip poker, though, because the last time the guild did it, it didn't go well…_

She still couldn't get the vision of Natsu's naked self running around the guild with flames spiraling off of his body and an equally as naked Gray chasing him. They'd been a bit younger, and it had made her scream in horror until Erza had dealt with the issue herself.

"Do you have any card games?" she asked Kenai politely. "Perhaps we can teach you one of our favorite games to play in the guild."

Kenai nodded enthusiastically and fled to go find the cards without even bothering to finish their board game, and Levy went to work on helping her friend pick it up. "I've managed to ask Ell if she would deliver a message to Gajeel. I created a riddle of sorts. I'm sure he'll figure it out - particularly if he goes back to Magnolia and speaks with people like Mavis and Lucy."

Lily eyed her warily. "Levy, you shouldn't do things like that...it's not good. Metalicana will be angry if he learns of your message. Though he's Gajeel's father, he's still a dragon who will do anything to protect himself."

"Somehow, I don't think he'd hurt us," Levy said firmly. She smiled sweetly, her gaze flashing with affection for the iron dragon despite the anger she felt towards him at the same time. "Like I said, Lily, I think he's just lonely and is finding a way to keep himself some company until he's allowed back out into the regular world, you know?"

"Still," he sighed in response and then glanced over when Kenai shuffled back into view with his hands ladened down with a rather large amount of playing cards. He smiled sheepishly and apologized, "Sorry, they got all mixed together."

"No worries," Levy reassured. "Why don't we organize them all before we start trying to play anything?" It was a pet peeve of hers; she _had_ to make sure things were organized before she did anything fun.

Ell watched all of this from the doorway, her hip leaned against it and her eyes thoughtful.

She liked Levy, and she wouldn't hesitate to admit it. Levy McGarden - and the cat - were friendly, kind, and incredibly smart if they were able to trick whoever had threatened them into letting them into town. Ell was anything but dumb; she knew that they'd been threatened, or something similar to that. She could see it in the way that they hissed at one another every now and then, eyes filled with concern, or the desperation of which she'd pleaded with her to take the riddle to Gajeel Redfox.

The question was...just what had threatened two mages of Fairy Tail into submission? She knew of the guild; she'd hired a few mages herself when Kenai had been younger and run off into the desert. They weren't intimidated very easily if at all, and they were very close with one another. They didn't hesitate to turn to one another should they need it, or defy orders if it meant helping innocent people.

So how on earth had this kind young woman been coerced into doing whatever the one who had imprisoned her wanted? Her friend was with her, and Ell knew that there was no one else that had gone on the job with her. She could have left Oak Town for Magnolia, where it was safe.

Ell shook her head, troubled.

None of it made any sense to her. No sense at all. But she smiled and hurried over to playfully tickle her son before instructing them to go to bed at a decent time because she, herself, was exhausted. She trusted Levy and her cat friend with her son; Kenai would be perfectly fine in their company.

So, without question, Ell slid into the back of the house, silently admitting that she wished her husband was there; he'd know what to do in such a time, but he was away as he usually was - by her choice, of course. He'd been worried about she and Kenai, but she'd convinced him to go, telling him it was for the best.

Ell shook her head in exasperation as she heard Levy's laughter fill the air. Lily started whining again, and Levy chided both he and Kenai for cheating. Ell snorted as she lectured them on how wrong it was - until the cat pointed out that she'd cheated, too.

She'd find Gajeel Redfox. She'd tell him that strange yet crafty riddle that she was sure only a member of Fairy Tail would be able to solve - a bonus in all of this mess - and she'd apologize on Levy's behalf for sending him on a wild goose chase. She'd explain how Levy had acted, too, express her concerns, and see if she could help in any possible way when it came time to do so.

She'd seen this Gajeel from a distance; he was a rather gruff man, scary looking almost, with an attitude that would send most people fleeing. But Ell had recognized the kindness in his eyes, covered up by the wary fear and nervous worry that he'd do something wrong and end up scaring people - especially children - off.

And she'd certainly recognized the frustration over his desperate terror for Levy's well being.

All from a good ten feet away.

A small and sad smile climbed on her lips as she nudged her bedroom door shut behind her.

 _I hope you can figure this out, Gajeel Redfox, your little fairy is waiting on you..._

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait! I hope you enjoyed! Thank you to all that reviewed (Littlestme, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, and Treblemkr!) and those who favorited and followed!  
_


	6. Bartering Deals

**. Oculto .**

* * *

"Do we have everything?" Levy questioned as she adjusted a new pair of clothes she'd pleaded her heart out for. They'd managed to acquire most supplies for free, as most people had recognized her and been eager to help if they could.

It was nice to know that they realized that she had a serious issue and had no money to pay them.

In money, anyways, she supposed that they were sort of protecting the town from a dragon…

"Yes," Lily decided. He paused to scan their possessions and then nodded to confirm it a second time. "We have everything that we could possibly need, including food to last somewhere close to a month. I'm hoping that we will be allowed to return when our food begins to run low...I'm glad that we were given many forms of entertainment, too."

Levy beamed. "That certainly does help, doesn't it?" she hummed, and then looked over when a worried young Ell called her name.

"Hm, I didn't expect to see them again," Lily admitted when they turned to find Ell and Kenai hurrying over, hand in hand. Ell was huffing, out of breath, and Kenai simply looked pleased to get to see Levy again, beaming in greeting.

Ell took a moment to catch her breath, and then said fiercely, "Good luck with whatever you're doing. I think you'll need it."

"We will," Levy agreed, and then said gratefully, "Thank you, Ell. Thank you so much for what you've done and are going to do for us. You're a kind person, and I hope that Fairy Tail sees to some kind of payment for what you've done."

"Nonsense," Ell scoffed. "We were happy just to help, right Kenai?"

"Yeah!" Kenai cheered.

Ell exchanged a look with Levy, her lips pressed together before she told her fiercely, "I'll make sure that your Gajeel hears the riddle you're leaving for him. If it's the last thing I do, he'll hear it, and manage to help you."

Levy smiled sadly. He wouldn't, she was willing to decide. He couldn't. As soon as he showed so much as a sign that he knew what was going on with she and Lily, they'd be forced to leave the area into some new hiding place, or killed immediately. But as much as Gajeel claimed to hate the iron dragon, she was willing to believe that he would trust Metalicana enough.

Taking a deep breath, Levy knelt to shoulder one of the heavy packs, grateful when Lily took on his battle form and grabbed the remainder, more than strong enough to handle them. "Thank you again, Ell. We'll hopefully be allowed to come back for more than supplies, and we'll stop by then."

Ell's eyes flashed with a look that Levy didn't trust. "How long?"

"Perhaps a month or so," Levy decided carefully. "Maybe though. No confirmation on that. It'll be hard to get back, I think, but if we're careful on what we do, we'll be allowed. We have to leave now or we won't make it by dusk, Lily."

"Right," the cat agreed. He glanced at the sands with a look of distaste. "Perhaps we will be met halfway there."

"That would be great," Levy groaned, not looking forward to the long trek. Lily couldn't fly her when they had so much supplies with them. At least they had water for the walk that they were faced with. "There's a good reason we're leaving a few hours before dusk, eh? Come on. Bye, Ell! Goodbye, Kenai!"

Kenai threw his hand in the air to wave excitedly, and Ell smiled faintly as she watched them start off. Neither of the mages looked forward to the walk before them, she knew, but they'd be alright.

Now, it was time for her to focus on the matter at hand.

And that matter was the telling of a riddle to Gajeel Redfox, who would be returning shortly if her guessing was correct.

* * *

It was close to dark when they arrived at Metalicana's side. The dragon had begun to look more than just a little agitated, and was glaring at them as they hurried over. "Sorry, sorry," Levy hurried to say, her cheeks flushed from the heat. "We couldn't fly here, and we underestimated how much time we'd have to get here."

"You told no one?" The dragon's rumbling voice was hoarse and irritable, his tail flicking and sending sand showering over them. Lily looked furious as he shrunk to his smaller form and shook his fur out.

"No," she confirmed. "No one knows that we're with the iron dragon Metalicana."

"Good." Metalicana's jaws parted as if he was tasting the air. And he was, Levy realized as his tongue came to hang out of his mouth. He was tasting to make sure that no one had come after them. "We will remain here for the night. You will rest, and then we'll return to the ruins come morning. I have gathered many of the old objects that once rested among the ruins," he added. He eyed Levy with sharp red eyes. "Perhaps they'll interest ya, shrimpy."

"My name is Levy," the solid-script mage muttered, and then carefully sat down in the sand, grabbing a blanket out of the package she'd carried. She wrapped it around her shoulders and then pulled Lily into her lap. Her body tensed as Metalicana curled around them, tail beneath his chin, his message clear.

They weren't going anywhere while he slept.

Sighing, Levy adjusted her new headband, and then touched the bandaged injury on her leg. Ell had seen to it the night before, and then had given her medication to keep on her person at all times should it start hurting again.

Closing her eyes after laying down in the sand with Lily curled up against her belly, both exhausted after their walk, Levy allowed her mind to drift. Her thoughts were full of regrets. Regrets that would haunt her if that decade went longer.

"One day down," she whispered aloud, voice hitching as tears filled her eyes. "Countless to go."

Metalicana rumbled a sound that almost sounded guilty.

The night passed by quickly, much to the tired woman's relief. She hadn't slept much, and when morning came, she staggered around with a sigh constantly leaving her lips, gathering up their supplies and tying them to herself and Lily, who would help keep her on Metalicana's back this time.

At least she wouldn't slice her hands constantly on Metalicana's heavy iron plating.

When they were on his back, waiting for the dragon to finish extending his wings, Levy spared a look over her shoulder. All she was able to see was sand, sand, and more sand, which she supposed would be all she saw for a while.

At least she'd have some researching to keep her busy. Maybe she could figure out just why the people had left these ruins to abandonment...she'd be famous if she could do that. Not that it mattered. Maybe…

Did _Metalicana_ know about where they'd gone?

Excitement at the prospect that he might know what had happened filled her and Levy settled down as he suddenly shifted, wings pumping to get them into the air. A screeching cry left his parted jaws and trusting Lily to keep her on the dragon, she slapped her hands over her ears with a wince.

"Hate when he does that," she thought she heard Lily mutter.

The roar kept up for a few minutes before he finally shot forward like a bullet from one of Alzack's guns. Still not completely used to his sudden movements, Levy yelped and Lily only tightened his grip, promising that he wouldn't let her fall.

Levy tilted her head and looked over the desert as Metalicana flew.

"It's so pretty," she whispered as the sun broke the horizon, promising unending heat that day. At least she'd get some sort of tan while she was here, right? Her lips trembled just barely. Fighting the urge to cry, Levy looked down at the heavy plating that she was being protected from. Her gaze studied it, and then her fingers dragged gently over it, taking in the smooth and soft material that could turn razor sharp on the flip of a dime.

Perhaps she could learn more about iron working, too, she thought, so that she could grant Gajeel who knows how many gifts when she returned? She doubted he was as concerned for as he was for his cat. Of course, she didn't think that he didn't care at all, but Lily lived with him. Lily was the one who went on every job known to man with the iron dragon slayer. Lily was probably his closest friend, followed up by Juvia.

She was willing to hope that she was somewhere in there, too, of course.

When Metalicana finally decided to descend and land amongst the different buildings that made up the ruins, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth like some happy dog, Lily helped her down. Levy stumbled once or twice before catching her balance, catching one of the packs he threw down to her.

The dragon watched them curiously for a moment, red eyes gleaming, and then lowered his massive head to sniff at the sand, sending waves of it showering in the opposite direction. "...mm," the iron dragon purred, "Someone came investigating while we were away. I am glad that I chose to hide my hoard."

Levy eyed the massive expanse of sand where the pit had been. "How did you do that, anyways?" she questioned, looking up at him. She was willing to guess that it was Gajeel. He _had_ left to look for them after all.

"Dragons are powerful creatures," was the only response she received, and a proud one at that. He dropped _through_ the sand and slid into it with a happy sound, grateful to be home if the happy murmurs leaving him were anything to go by.

Lily came to stand beside her, looking a bit strained from the pull on his magic. They peered down into it together. "...this guy is something else," Lily muttered unhappily. "And it was Gajeel who was here."

"It was?" She glanced at him anxiously and he nodded.

"The sands shift at night, when the winds blow," he explained, "So it was hard to pick out his scent, but he was here. We missed him. Damn, if only we'd been here when he was here to look…"

"The iron," Levy whispered suddenly, glancing at him. "There's no way he wouldn't have noticed the amount of iron in this area. Mix that with...you know, and-"

A growl suddenly filled the air, and Metalicana lifted his head so that his eye was even with him, glaring fiercely. "If my brat shows up because of somethin' ya two did, don't think I won't kill you."

Levy flinched and met his gaze fiercely. "You've kidnapped us. You really think we _wouldn't_ try to leave clues or let him know that we're safe? Relax. I didn't leave him a message telling him where we are. He doesn't even know we're with him. I gave him a riddle to solve, and knowing him, it'll take until it's time for us to go back to figure it out."

 _Not_.

Lucy would help him, Levy was sure of it.

Metalicana growled even louder and lifted his head so that they could see his teeth better as he snarled, "You dare to challenge a dragon?"

"Levy," Lily warned, but she ignored him and planted her hands on her hips, raising her chin in pride.

"No," she retorted, "I dare to challenge the father of my nakama. Gajeel is worried about us. I know it. And you owe him at least this much after abandoning him and leaving him to wander around as a child, not knowing if you're alive or dead, you metallic bastard."

There was a beat of silence as Metalicana stared at her.

And then a sound rumbled, a chuckle from deep in his throat that grew until he was outright laughing. "Gihi!" he laughed, shaking his giant head from side to side and nearly sending the pair of them crumpled to the ground when he just barely brushed his nose against them while doing so.

"Alright," he finally purred, "Let's make a deal, little one." He lowered his head, chin landing on the sandy earth beside her, his red eye not once leaving them. "If my brat figures your riddle out and finds you, then you may go home - as _long_ as no one knows of my location. But you stay here until he does."

Levy thought her heart would burst with excitement. "Thank you," she breathed, and then threw herself nearly straight into his mouth to try and sort of hug him. She then whirled on her cat friend, who shrunk down to his smaller size. "Come on, Lily!" she said cheerfully.

She set off for the nearest crumpling building.

"We have a building to remake!"

* * *

Gajeel was ready to start destroying things by the time he got back to Oak Town. He led the horse through the sandy streets, ignoring the looks of confusion sent his way. It nickered as it came across another, and he patted its neck after a man came forward with a gasp of relief. "Here," he said grouchily, shoving the reins into his hand. "Yer horse, right?"

"Yeah," the man agreed quickly. "Thank you for returning him, he's our fastest." He ran his hands down the animal's legs, searching for injuries, and was pleased to find none. "Did you find your friend? I thought I might have seen her wandering around town not too long ago, but I wasn't sure…"

Gajeel's attention sharpened. "She was here? _Fuck_ , I'm gonna kill them when I find them!" Growling now, he crossed his arms, what looked like a pout appearing on his face. "Where'd ya think ya saw her?"

"Town square," the man said warily. "With a cat. And Ell and her boy. Late evening."

"Where does this lady and her kid live?" Gajeel demanded, getting angrier as the man thought over the information. How hard was it for someone to remember things like this! "Never freakin' mind, I'll just find it myself-"

"I don't know," the man interrupted sheepishly. "But Ell takes Kenai out to the square every night. Head there and you'll see her eventually. You'll know her when you see her; always smilin' and the likes."

"Thanks." Gajeel awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, not used to thanking people, and then gave a small wave. He hurried off, determined to sit around in the town square all day if he had to. He was well aware of people staring at his emblem, and he smirked. He was proud to be a member of Fairy Tail now. No one would ever convince him that switching into the guild had been horrible.

He never said as much, but he loved his guild. It was weird and no one gave a shit about what you did so long as you weren't hurting anyone.

It was something he appreciated when he shoved Mira's silverware into his mouth.

Gajeel wandered into the town square after a few minutes of walking, gloved hands shoved into his pockets and nose going into overdrive as he tried to search out any scents. His nose wasn't as good as Natsu's, but it would work well enough.

And he found himself grinning when he found the faintest traces of Levy and Lily. They'd been there, which meant that they were still alive. He touched the bloodied headband at his hip, tied to his belt, and then grabbed the nearest man by the arm. He gave Gajeel an annoyed look, but the iron mage ignored it and demanded, "You seen a small woman? Fairy Tail mage, blue hair, about this tall?" He gestured to show what he meant.

"No," the man growled, ripping free. "Now leave me alone."

Gajeel glared after him, and then turned on his heel, beyond frustrated. _The fuck is wrong with these people?!_

"Mister!"

A small hand grabbed his pants, and he almost backhanded the kid in shock when he whirled around, saving the child's face in the nick of time. "Gah," he growled, "Watch it, kid. What d'ya want?"

"You're from Fairy Tail, right?" The boy squinted up, unnerving Gajeel.

"Uh, yeah? Ya not see the emblem?"

The boy beamed. "I'm Kenai! You're the guy looking for Levy, right? C'mon!" Gajeel's jaw dropped as the boy fearlessly grabbed him by the wrist and started yanking on him, trying to lead him somewhere. He followed warily until the boy led him straight up to a woman who was searching the crowds anxiously, eyes troubled.

When she saw them, she beamed. "Kenai," she scolded, "I told you not to wander off!"

"Yeah, but I found the Fairy Tail guy," he muttered, not bothered at all by her sharp words. "Look! This is the one Levy was looking for, remember?"  
"I'm aware of that," the woman sighed, rolling her eyes. She turned her gaze on Gajeel, apologetic. "I'm sorry, he's so pushy-"

"I don't care, least he knows stuff. You that lady I was told about? Ell?"

Ell looked delighted that he knew of her, and clapped her hands together. "Yes! And this is my son, Kenai. Miss Levy McGarden wanted me to find you." His eyes widened fractionally. "She left only yesterday, Mr. Redfox. I couldn't drag out of both she and her cat friend where they were going or what had happened, but she wasn't entirely pleased about it."

Gajeel forced himself to focus and be as professional as a Fairy Tail mage could be. "You know," he said gruffly, "That she's safe though?"

"The last time I checked, yes," Ell promised. "I wonder if someone powerful got their fingers on her though...she didn't even _try_ to escape, she went back so willingly…" She trailed off, and then shook her head. "Even the cat was eager to get going to avoid angering whoever. I felt bad for both of them."

"Lily's good, too?" He folded his arms, glancing to the kid for answers, and the boy grinned reassuringly.

"Yeah, Lily's okay," Kenai promised.

"Good," he muttered, and then demanded, "Which way?"

Ell completely bypassed his demand and smiled. "Would you like to have dinner with us? Kenai is rather fond of your guild and while Miss Levy told him quite a bit, I'm sure he'd like to hear some more stories...and she left a message that I think would be best to tell you in private."

"She left a message?" His eyes narrowed, and he glanced around before grumbling, "Fine. Let's go. Hurry it up. I'll tell stories after I've gotten the message and sent word to my guild. Ya gotta communications lacrima?"

"The newest," was Ell's response. She indicated that he should follow her, and then started forward with her son close behind.

Gajeel trailed along behind them, his hands shoved into his pockets. His dark hair was a mess, he noted. Gross and wildly tangled from the wild running through the desert. Perhaps the weird woman before him would let him use a shower…?

After he heard Levy's message, though.

And made sure that no one was lying to him. That was something he could do just by setting foot inside her home though. So he wasn't too concerned about the matter.

"Damn it, shrimp," he grumbled, exhausted after spending so much of his time searching for the missing bookworm. "The hell was she thinking when she ran off like this...ain't no guardian that took her if she's runnin' around…"

There was a small giggle on Ell's behalf as she called over her shoulder, "Don't worry, Mr. Redfox, she was more than a just a little worried about you."

He arched a pierced brow, surprised. _Was_ she? How interesting…

When they arrived at Ell's home, he knew immediately that Levy had been there. Both of his friends' scents flooded his senses, telling him that they'd been there not too long before. And it reassured him in a way that words couldn't.

Sighing, Gajeel turned on Ell. "What'd Levy say?" he demanded. "Tell me."

Ell searched his gaze before answering, "She left you a riddle. _'To enable nearness, risk our unhappiness, my dear sweet.'_ She said that you'd figure it out and if you couldn't, you'd probably go to your guild."

Gajeel gritted his teeth, beyond annoyed. Was she serious? Levy had left a _riddle_? She knew he wasn't good at them! Nevertheless, he carefully noted it and demanded, "Take me to yer communications lacrima. Need to call some people and let them know about what's happened and whatever. Gotta smart girl that'll know how to solve it."

Ell instructed him on where to find the lacrima, and then said, "Go ahead and use whatever you need. There's a room available if you want it. And if your friends come, they can stay, too. We're always willing to help people who have done so much for us."

Gajeel left her to find the lacrima, and then expertly used his magic with it to connect with the guild's. "' _To enable nearness, risk our unhappiness, my dear sweet_ '," he recited thoughtfully. He couldn't help the chuckle that left his lips as he rocked back on his heels. "You tryin' to tell me somethin', shrimp?"

He was greeted by a smiling Mira. "Hello, Gajeel!" she cried, beaming at him. "Everything going well? How's Levy and Lily?"

Rather than answering, he demanded, "Bunny girl there? And Salamander?"

Mira blinked a few times. "Lucy's here, yes. Would you like to speak with her?" He nodded and she stepped out of the room that he knew the lacrima was in, calling for the blonde. When she came back, she was worried. "Is everything alright? How's Levy?"

Gajeel gave her a grim look, crimson eyes sharp. "Alive," was all he said. "Turns out somethin' happened and Levy's disappeared with my goddamn cat. Can't catch up with either of 'em. I think they were kidnapped."

"Will she be okay?" Lucy's voice came through the lacrima as the girl appeared, looking worried about her friend, and Gajeel shrugged his shoulders, muttering something under his breath that neither of them caught, thank the heavens.  
"Dunno." He spoke gruffly, honest. He liked Lucy, she was high up on his list after several attempts to gain his friendship. And she was a kind person, something he recognized with ease.

Lucy's dark eyes flashed. "Well then, let's get to work on figuring out where they are. What do you need from me?"

"Shrimp left a message of sorts with the lady who owns this thing." Gajeel tapped the lacrima and frowned. "A riddle." He recited it and Lucy scrambled to write it down when Mira retrieved some parchment and a pen. "Think ya can figure it out, bunny girl?"

"Probably," she sighed. "Why'd you ask for Natsu, though? The guy's great, but he's as dumb as a rock most of the time."

"His nose," Gajeel answered immediately, crossing his arms. He searched her gaze, determined. "My nose ain't made for huntin' like a dog's. I want ya and him to come and track her down. Think ya can get here within the next day or so?"

"...are you asking for our _help_?" Lucy gasped, astonished. Mira giggled at her excitement by the prospect, though she did look a little worried about their fellow mage. "We'll be at Oak Town tomorrow. Let me go find Natsu, I'll work on this riddle while we're traveling."

"Sounds good," he grunted back. They bid him farewell and he simply cut the connection before glancing back, startled to discover that Kenai was shyly peeking in. Realizing he'd been caught, the boy smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and moved over, pushing him forward. "C'mon, kid, I guess I can tell ya about Tenrou…"

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to reviewers (NighttimeWonder, silverstorm116, Guest, and ClosetFangirl-chan!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	7. Tenrou's Showtime

**. Oculto .**

* * *

It seemed like forever before Natsu and Lucy arrived in Oak Town - mostly because Gajeel had been abandoned to deal with the entertaining of a child as payment for the free boarding and food. Ell had apparently entrusted him to babysit her son while she went out shopping, horrified that Gajeel had invited the infamous Salamander to town.

Apparently she'd heard of his appetite.

Gajeel had recommended she bring a million or so matches back with her.

So, the next day found Gajeel grumbling as he waited at the train station for the bunny girl and her boyfriend - though she claimed that he wasn't - and their cat to arrive. His eyes were sharp, his shoulders hunched as Kenai eagerly chatted about some little adventure he'd had with his friends. One Gajeel really didn't care for.

His gloved hands were shoved into his pockets, a headband that Levy had gifted him countless months before keeping his messy dark hair out of his face. His crimson eyes searched for the train until it arrived, and when it did, he picked Kenai up by the back of his shirt and moved him out of the way so that people could get off.

It was easy enough to spot the other Fairy Tail mages. For one, people were avoiding the familiar pink-haired Natsu like the plague, all glaring at him as he eagerly raised a fire-cloaked hand into the air, his fingers curled into a fist.

Lucy put a stop to that by kicking him nastily in the shins.

"Oi!" he finally called to catch their attention, knowing that Natsu's sharp ears would hear him. "Salamander!"

Natsu's head snapped around, his onyx eyes sharp with excitement at the prospect of a challenge that never came. Lucy, however, pushed her way over when she saw the tall iron dragon slayer and squirmed past people. Her hands went to her hips as soon as she stood in front of him, her brown eyes fierce. "I got the first part. It took only a few minutes. Levy's smart though, so I couldn't figure out the last bit, but here."

She shoved a few pieces of paper into his hands, and Gajeel nearly dropped them, startled that she'd managed to get it figured out so quickly. He hadn't expected to have a good portion of it solved _that_ fast!

But one look at the paper told him how she'd figured it out.

She'd listed each word in the riddle beneath the one before it, and then had circled the first letter of each word, spelling it out neatly at the bottom of the page.

 _ **TENROU**_ , she'd written.

"Okay," he rumbled as Kenai ran up to Natsu and Happy and began to demand curious questions, his eyes sparkling as Natsu grinned down at him and eagerly answered. "So...those weirdos that attacked us? Grimoire Heart?"

"I don't know," she admitted. She peered over his arm at it, tapping the last three words of the riddle. "She added this in though, and the letters don't match up like Tenrou. So I was thinking that she had two parts to the riddle. Tenrou is just the first part. I'll keep messing around with it, see if I can get it solved unless you two have miraculously become sweet on each other and it's just a phrase of endearment?"

Gajeel snorted. "Gihi! Ya wish, bunny girl."

"I do," she admitted with a sigh, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. She squinted at Natsu thoughtfully before huffing and storming over. "Natsu Dragneel, don't you _dare_ put any fire anywhere near-" A pause. "Who is this kid anyways?"

"I'm Kenai," Kenai offered unhelpfully, and Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"Kid of the lady Levy gave the riddle to. Watchin' him 'cause she's lettin' us stay with her for free and is gonna feed us. She's out shoppin' to feed Salamander."

"This lady is smart," Lucy mused, and then smiled kindly at Kenai as she crouched and offered a hand to shake. "Hey, there. I'm Lucy Heartfilia, celestial mage of Fairy Tail, and this is my partner, Natsu Dragneel."

"Fire dragon slayer," Natsu said proudly.

"...wow," Kenai breathed, and then turned to grin at Gajeel. "They're not as cool as you are though, Gajeel!" Gajeel looked a little confused by that comment, and then shrugged to himself, not about to correct him.

"Where's your cat?" he asked, expecting the bothersome blue Exceed to appear and begin making annoying comments. "He ain't here?"

"Happy went with Wendy, Charle, Gray, and Erza on a job yesterday morning." Lucy winked at the happy Kenai and then stood, brushing her skirt off. "Come on, Natsu, let's get to wherever we're going. Levy was there, right?" Gajeel nodded. "Natsu can track her. Should be easy enough."

"Should be," Natsu agreed, playfully scooping the boy up and putting him on his shoulder with ease, not looking the least bit bothered by his weight. "It's gonna be a pain in the ass though. Sand screws everything up. I probably won't get further than the edge of town."

"If you two want to run around, I'll stay with Kenai," Lucy offered as they walked down the street. Natsu received more than one absolutely horrified look before the person behind it bolted for wherever their house was to protect their food, and the dragon slayer snickered proudly at himself.

"Probably a good idea." Gajeel rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I feel like that guardian beast thing had something to do with all of this, by the way. So for all I know, we might end up gettin' a nasty fight."

"Yes!" Natsu cheered as he pumped a fist in the air. "Just what I like to hear! C'mon, kid, let's get somethin' to eat, I'm starved after that stupid train ride!"

"Of course you are," Lucy muttered.

Gajeel clasped his hands behind his head as they walked, a heavy sigh escaping him.

 _What the fuck was I thinking?_

* * *

It turned out that the whole situation might not have been as bad as Levy had originally thought.

With the idea that Gajeel would get Lucy to help him solve the riddle, or Erza at the very least, she was reassured that she'd soon be able to go home. If he thought she and Lily were in trouble, he'd make sure that they were quickly retrieved. He'd make sure they were safe.

The stone building that she and Lily had been working on for the past few hours wasn't too bad, she was proud to say. She and the Exceed had worked hard at it, using clay that they'd found near the water to smear in the cracks and holes, determined to seal it away from the heat of the desert and the cold of the nights. Metalicana had simply watched them curiously, most of his body submerged in the pit that he called home.

When they'd finished, she grabbed a book and settled down within the doorway of the new building they'd be staying in, Lily settling down beside her with a heavy sigh. "Soon," she murmured comfortingly. He only gave her a look before looking elsewhere. Her face fell, the smile vanishing as she said softly, "Sorry, Lily, it's my fault we're in this mess. I should have brought Gajeel along to begin with, like Mira said."

Lily shook his head, patting her leg with a paw. "It's not that," he reassured. He paused, and then explained quietly, "I'm simply worried. He doesn't take care of himself when he's set on getting something done."

Levy gave a faint smile as she said softly, "We can't do anything about that until he comes and finds us. Which'll be soon."

Metalicana suddenly made a sound in the back of his throat, his eyes lifting to a space far off. His teeth, already showed to the world, became bared as he slid from his pit and back to the sand. They both looked up to him in surprise as his footsteps made the ground tremble beneath their feet. "Wyvern," was all he said.

Understanding crossed Levy's face. So _he'd_ been the one to chase off all living creatures in the surrounding desert. Made sense, she supposed. It kept them all away from his space and territory…

Metalicana didn't demand they stay; he didn't even tell them to not go with him. He simply lumbered off, a low roar already building in the back of his throat. There was a scream from a wyvern in the distance, as if challenging the dragon.

Levy and Lily had no doubt in their minds about who would win that little battle.

Neither did the iron dragon, who reared his large head back and roared loudly, letting the piercing metallic screech that made Levy drop her book and clamp her hands over her delicate ears ring out over the sands in response. She suddenly glanced to her cat companion, lowering her ears when he was done. "...how doesn't Gajeel hear that?"

"He might," Lily said slowly. "He has sensitive ears. Not quite as sensitive as others, but sensitive enough. Gajeel might hear it if he's in town." He climbed into her lap, scowling. "What I wouldn't give for some kiwi juice," he said, eyeing the horizon. There were storm clouds, Levy realized, and hugged him sympathetically. She knew that he was scared of thunderstorms, and vowed to do her best to protect him from them.

"Next time we go into town," she decided. "I'll get you some then; does that work?"

"Yeah." Lily purred happily and curled up in her lap as she smoothed her hand over his head. Levy listened to the sounds of frustrated screams and roars from where Metalicana was working on scaring off a wyvern, shaking her head to herself.

She hoped that the iron creature didn't get hurt.

There was more than certainly nowhere near enough medical supplies to deal with wounds on a creature that large. She'd have to empty out Wendy's supply back home to do that.

And it was kind of the bastard trapping them there, so maybe not tending to injuries would be a good form of pay back so long as they weren't too bad.

Levy gave up on plotting against the powerful Metalicana and sighed, patting Lily's head and returning to her book.

 _I give up. For now._

* * *

There was a dark look on Gajeel's face as he allowed Natsu to lead him around Oak Town. The pink-haired mage was careless about what they thought of him - the residents, anyways. He was on his hands and knees, crawling around as he followed the trail Levy had left only nights before.

"Look, Natsu," Gajeel said finally, losing patience. "Do ya got anything or not?"

Natsu glared up at him, onyx eyes sharp. "You're the one who asked _me_ for help, so shut up and let me do what you need me to." He turned his face away and went back to work before rocking back onto his haunches, scratching his head with a huff. They'd gotten to the outskirts of town and he stared towards the empty desert nearby as he thought. "They went this way. Out into the desert. No one was with 'em." His gaze slid to the iron mage's. "The hell is she doing?"

"I dunno." Gajeel inhaled sharply himself, his mouth opening to catch the tang of the iron on the air. "I don't get it. She clearly wants to be found. Why the fuck is she out there again?"

"Who knows?" Natsu hunched his shoulders so that his chin sank into his scaled scarf. "Tenrou...and the other letters were "M", "D", and "S"."

Gajeel began to mumble under his breath, thinking with a frown. "I got nothin'," he began to say, only to stop dead and squint out over the desert, listening. Natsu snapped to his feet, too, silent and listening.

But the strange screech both had heard didn't come again.

"The fuck was that?" Gajeel muttered, suspicion touching his eyes as he looked around, searching for a source. That was the second time he'd heard something...the guardian, perhaps? Levy's captors even?

"Dunno," Natsu answered. He growled softly to himself, searching the sands with his gaze and inhaling, sounding like a dog as he snuffled. "...I can't smell anything," he said suddenly, "I can't track anyone from here. The sands shift around and screw with the scents."

"Figured as much." Gajeel crossed his arms grumpily, rather angry now. Well that had been pointless…

"But I was wondering." Natsu glanced his way. "The iron. How long has that much iron been around? I can _taste_ it, there's so much. You must have been having a field day before we came."

Gajeel shrugged heavily. "I headed out to do a bit of mining," he admitted. "Tastes better than most iron things I find. S'all over the place. Town makes a hell of a profit off of it. Sold it off for some good money when I got here with some."

Natsu didn't look at him now, dropping back down to give a last attempt at sniffing. "Gajeel," he said suddenly. "The last two letters. Levy said, _'My dear sweet.'_ Maybe she meant _'My dragon slayer.'_ "

"Maybe for that last bit, but the first word ain't makin' sense." Gajeel wrinkled his nose, thoughtful. Crimson eyes flickered over his shoulder when someone bustled past - the old man that owned the crazy deer thing he'd caught before. He was smoothing a hand over its flank as he led it, checking for injuries. "Why leave one word?"

"..." Natsu had nothing.

By the time they had gotten back, both of them were surprised to discover Lucy standing at the door with an impatient look on her face. Her expression changed into relief when she saw them, her eyes gleaming. "Natsu!" she called, "Gajeel! I have something!"

"We might, too," Natsu told her as they stopped before her. He cocked his head. "What'd you come up with, Luce?"

"The last three letters," Lucy explained, "I was running through ideas, and Kenai was helping me. Weren't you?" She smiled at the boy, who'd appeared at her side, and he grinned back at her. "Anyways, we thought that the last two letters might represent-"

"Dragon slayer," Gajeel cut her off. "Yeah, Salamander figured it out."

They paused to stare at him in surprise. He grinned proudly, and then laughed when Kenai cheered for him. Eyeing her partner, Lucy said, "Anyways, I started running through words. I haven't come up with anything that makes sense for that "M". Male, maybe, but we all know that out of the seven dragon slayers, only one is a girl, so that would be pretty obvious. Markings, mahogany, main, metallic...none of 'em work for the situation."

Gajeel went very, _very_ still. "Repeat that last one."

"Metallic?" She looked bewildered. "I added that one in because of the insane amount of iron. I can even taste it."

"It didn't used to be like that," Ell told them as she came out, hands folded behind her back. Her eyes were curious. "Actually, there used to be no iron at all. It started showing up about fourteen years ago-"

"July seventh, in the year of X777," Gajeel breathed. For once, he didn't seem to have an attitude or a dark look in the back of his eyes. He looked almost like a child as he turned on his heel, a breathless laugh leaving him. "Shrimp'll be fine."

Lucy looked a little confused and just a bit concerned for his mental state, but Natsu locked on, used to looking for any sign of the father whose presence he craved. "Seriously? You think the guardian thing is a dragon? And not one of those weird ancient things, I mean a full fledged dragon."

"Yeah, thought all of the iron was weird." Gajeel grinned as he glanced over at the shocked blonde. "Looks like we're a fuckin' failure, Salamander. Can't believe that bookworm found them before we did."

"There's a _dragon_ in the desert?" Kenai shouted in shock, his eyes showing excitement.

"Sh," Ell hushed.

" _Tenrou_ was to clue us into the dragon," Lucy muttered. "Then the last three letters were to specify. _Metalicana's dragon slayer._ "

Gajeel cracked another grin before glaring out over the desert, huffing. "So why the hell is that old bastard trapping Levy? Ain't like she could do any harm to him. She's like some fly that won't fuck off."

"Gajeel," Lucy warned. "There are little ears around."

"Is that Levy's headband tied to your belt?" Natsu muttered, startled but smug.

"Shut up," he told him.

"Okay, so if this is the iron dragon we're hunting down…what do we do?" Lucy asked softly. "From the sounds of it, there must be some kind of reason Levy couldn't leave more than a riddle…"

"He's a screwed up old man, who the hell knows." Gajeel shoved his hair out of his eyes impatiently, his crimson gaze fierce. At least they wouldn't have to fight to save the young woman. "They're safe for now. S'all that matters."

"Aw," Lucy cooed. "You're worried...that's so cute. Eek!" She cut her teasing off with a shriek of fear when a shard of iron struck the floor beside her feet, nearly piercing the flesh. Natsu snapped his jaws irritably in warning.

"So...she's okay?" Ell fretted. "She won't be hurt? There were slavers that headed out not too long after she did, and I was worried that they'd gotten to her…"

Gajeel remembered the blood in the sands, making a small grimace before admitting, "They ain't gonna be bothering anyone ever again, believe me. My old man dealt with them. Now." He cracked his knuckles. "The one who sent for the job needs a little chattin', 'cause there ain't no way he didn't know it was a dragon's hoard."

"I can't believe this," Lucy sighed. "I can't believe we've found a _dragon_ , and one that isn't going to utterly demolish us the second it sees us."

"Hold on for a second there," Natsu muttered. "Just 'cause Levy's alive doesn't mean he'll let us walk off, ya know. Igneel was an awesome dad, Luce, but he fried anyone who discovered us. I know what the smell of fried flesh smells like 'cause of it. They may like their children - hatchlings, I guess - but they ain't a fan of anyone who walks in on their hoards."

"Hate to say it, but Salamander's right," Gajeel grunted. "Bastards are picky little fuckers. Can't believe he didn't kill the shrimp when she showed up. Or my cat for that matter."

"Levy's not very threatening," Lucy admitted. "Neither are we for that matter, Natsu...Gajeel, you might be. But I guess your his kid, so it doesn't matter much…" Gajeel snorted in response before the blonde decided to leave well enough alone and turned back to her partner. "Do you think you could track a dragon?"

Natsu shook his head. "They got some serious magic to hide from people."

Gajeel searched his memories for anything that might have given away where they could be, and grinned, coming up with a thought almost immediately.

The strange stretch of sunken in sand that he'd examined, where the nasty blood-caked shrapnel had rested, buried. He knew without a doubt that his father was probably hiding beneath that sand, listening with one of those nasty smirks on his face that meant trouble.

He grinned, showing off his sharpened canines as Kenai's eyes widened in shock at the sight. "Gihi. What ya guys know about sneaking up on a dragon's lair?"

* * *

There was a dark look in his eyes as he lifted his gaze to the starry night sky, his breath leaving his lips in a cloud of white. Darkened hair hung loosely at his back, swaying gently in the breeze. His fingers brushed thoughtfully over the ground, feeling the trembling of the group of people who moved past him, and a smirk suddenly encased his lips.

He stood swiftly, the cloak he wore rippling out. They were coming, he knew. And he was definitely ready to meet them.

Power began to gather around his fingers and hands, its sensation dark and menacing.

He could feel the far off power, hidden behind dozens of walls and barriers. A dragon resided elsewhere. Not one like Acnologia himself, a dragon slayer gone crazed, but a true dragon, raised from egg to adulthood by its parents.

Fangs were bared as he tilted his head back. He took a deep breath, and then he roared.

The sound rang out wildly, a terrifying scream that had the people that passed flinching in unease and looking around to try and figure out where it was coming from. He crawled out of the den that he'd been hiding in, his piercing red eyes gleaming with hatred and malicious excitement.

The people just outside of it reeled back, crying out warnings to others and getting ready for a fight that they didn't even have a chance to start.

He inhaled sharply and then opened his mouth, bellowing out a devastating attack that tore through them and the ground, sending blood flying and people screaming as they fled. A dark laugh left him as he turned and repeated his attack, watching intently as their bodies were ripped apart by the black and terrible magic he used.

A short while later, there was only silence, interrupted by the dripping of blood.

"Tch," he said in his hoarse voice. He rarely spoke anymore. What point was there in doing so? He didn't feel the need to speak to the people he was fully intent on killing…

He wanted a challenge. A good challenge, not one like this. This attempt had been pathetic.

He raked his mind for ideas, and decided on one that was possibly the only one he could come up with. He grinned viciously at the idea and cracked his calloused knuckles, the scars that decorated every inch of his flesh flashing in the moonlight. The chilly desert air filled his nose as he snorted.

The only way he'd get a decent challenge was to piss off a true dragon, or even one of the few first generations that were running around Fiore. There were five in total, he knew, plus two distant second generations. Three, actually, though they weren't aware of him. Two third generations, too.

He didn't want them though.

He wanted a dragon or one of their children.

He'd heard stories of Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon King's son. He was annoying, that attitude of his, he didn't want that. Besides, Magnolia was a far off place, and he only wanted a one on one, not the annoying attack of fifty other people coming at him. With him was Wendy Marvell, Grandeeney's child, and Gajeel Redfox, that old iron bastard's son. Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney of Sabertooth were closer, but they weren't first generations.

But…

There'd been rumors of a dragon slayer in the nearby Oak Town.

Perhaps he'd try there?

If that was the case, he might as well go there. It's not like he had anything better to do. He was tired of living in the desert and living off of those stupid lizards he found. He longed for the taste of some other flesh.

He remembered the flailing and screaming of the girl beneath him as he tore at her, his lips curved into a nasty grin. Her blood had been simply devine. He hadn't had anything like it since going on five years back. She'd been a petite one, that girl, with scared dark eyes and long dark hair.

And with that, the powerful black mage knew exactly how he was going to lure the good and peaceful dragon slayer out of that town full of people.

Surely there was another petite girl that would do? Besides. The blood gave him a boost of power unlike any other.

He licked his lips at the thought and grinned before starting forward.

 _Showtime._

* * *

 _Whew! Busy chapter, eh? Thanks to reviewers (Littlestme, The King of Ash and Roses, AfterWriter, and Noellesmells1!) and those who favorited and followed!_


	8. Storm of Dust

**. Oculto .**

* * *

She awoke to the sounds of sand shifting, the sign that someone was walking over it.

"Lily," Levy whispered, reaching for the Exceed, but he was already awake, his fur bristling and his gaze serious as he prepared to transform, ready to defend her. Metalicana had decided to trust them for the night, knowing the couldn't get far even if they did decide to leave, so the fact that there were human - and _very_ human - footsteps made her uncertain.

Her magic ready, Levy clutched Lily to her and drew the blanket over them, grateful it was old and dusty from the dirt of the building they were staying in. She held her breath not daring to breathe as the footsteps stopped, and a shadow fell over the moonlit doorway.

There were a few moments of brief silence as whoever the terrifying person was searched, scanning the room with curiosity.

And then the footsteps retreated, leaving them in peace.

Levy cautiously peeked over the edge of the blanket and then lowered it, sighing softly in relief as she exchanged a scared look with her friend. Her voice hushed, tone just barely audible, she breathed, "Who the hell-"

He slapped a paw over her mouth, shushing her as he listened. His sharp ears caught nothing, however, and finally he shook his head, whispering back, "I don't know. That was not an ally of ours, I don't think. I can't tell. Metalicana's used more magic to screw with smells."

"Great," she mumbled. "Then that could have been another slaver…"

Both fell quiet, and Levy sighed softly, hugging her friend tightly. She wanted to go home. Desperately. She missed the feeling of security that rooming in the same building as Erza Scarlet gave her, the reassurance that if something were to happen, her guild would find out right away.

The comfort that her friends would find her as soon as they realized something was off.

"I wonder," she said softly, looking at the worried Exceed, who watched her carefully. "If Gajeel will come soon." Tears built in her eyes and before she could help it, a quiet sob escaped her lips. "I miss him. I miss him the most, I think, Lily. I want to go home."

She felt like a child, demanding their parents pick them up from a friend's house, but she didn't care.

And Lily could only curl up against her with as reassuring a purr as he could muster, his own heart aching for the familiarity of home.

They sat like that, watching the moon sink and the sun rise in silence for hours. It was only when there was the familiar beating of heavy metallic wings and the rumbling and creaking growl that they moved. She carried Lily outside, stumbling in exhaustion as Metalicana hit the ground with a heavy thud. The sand that hid his den shifted and disappeared, leaving the pit that was miles long for anyone to see.

"Metalicana," she said shakily, and the dragon turned his massive head in her direction, a rumbling sound in his throat.

"...you are shaken," he growled, gnashing his teeth. Chunks of iron spilled to the ground, collecting in a surprisingly neat pile. "What happened, little one?"  
She was surprised by the term of endearment, but explained what had happened anyways. Lily added in a few comments, and when they were done, the iron dragon studied them before snarling, wings lifting and creating a rather large and harsh gust of wind. His jaws clicked angrily as he snapped at the air. "I will look," he promised, preparing to take off again. But then he thought better of it and returned his wings to their hidden position, lowering his massive head to looked at them straight on. "That would clue them in…"

Levy smiled shakily. "We'll be alright if you want to look around."

She wanted to laugh at herself. As close as you could get to S-Class without actually being S-Class and here she was, trembling and begging for him to look for the monsters in the desert like a child.

Something about whoever their visitor had been had unsettled her though. Enough to make her shake violently as she lifted a hand to her mouth and nibbled at her fingernails out of nervous habit. So, she simply smiled nervously when Metalicana grumbled and told them he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. The dragon gathered his iron up in his jaws, careful as he did so, and then moved away, depositing it somewhere in the den below.

Suddenly, Metalicana paused.

And then Levy just as quickly found herself lifted by the back of her clothes, a squawk of alarm leaving her lips as Lily tumbled from her arms. Lily bristled angrily, snapping up into the air. "Put her down!" the cat demanded, plunging after them as Metalicana lowered himself and the solid-script mage into his den.

Metalicana snorted wordlessly as he gently set Levy down, his motions exaggerated and slow to avoid scaring the already nervous woman any further. Levy gawked up at the sky above, taking in the fact that she was _way_ too far down for anyone to find her without help.

Lily landed on her head and made himself comfortable there, his tail draped over her shoulder. The petite woman lifted a hand to touch him, and then cautiously looked around, aware that they were being watched by a cautious dragon.

She found another room, a cavern, opening and hesitantly made her way over to it - only to gawk in shock at the sight of the massive amounts of iron hidden there alongside silver materials that could be sold for an unthinkable amount of money.

And, among the treasures, were other things.

Books.

"Ooh!" she squealed, plucking the first one she came across up, her eyes eagerly scanning the ancient and cracking pages. "These are old...older than anything that Council has hidden away in their archives...and look at this one, Lily, I've never seen this language before-"

She continued to rant in excitement, darting this way and that, barely even noticing when the ground trembled beneath her feet, Metalicana simply making himself comfortable and blocking the entrance in a protective manner with the large tip of his tail. He used his head to poke around at whatever was hidden above, seeking any sign of an intruder.

And then he rested his head on the edge, closing his eyes and listening, barely breathing. A breeze gusted up, the storm he'd thought was coming beginning to arrive as dusty sand covered his face, dousing it with a rather nice amount of sand.

Glowing red eyes searched the upcoming cloud, mixed with rain and sand and more.

The darkness hidden within it made up his mind, and Metalicana dropped his head within his den and hoard, rumbling as he released a massive amount of iron that began to seal off the large hole at the top until pitch black fell.

Grateful that Atlas Flame had supplied never ending flames long _long_ ago, Metalicana settled down to watch his brat's friend, the storm soon roaring above their heads.

* * *

"What the hell is this?!"

Gajeel could barely hear his fellow dragon slayer over the sound of the roaring winds. They were curled up on the ground, using their desert bred animals as a blockade from the sand that threatened to envelop them. He gritted his teeth, sneezing for the umpteenth time.

Wanting to get started on his lead as soon as possible, Gajeel had hunted down the owner of the desert creature known as Salutem, demanding that he be leant to him. The man had willingly handed the creature's reins over, pleading that he find the missing solid-script mage. He'd leant Natsu another of his mounts, and both were grateful that they didn't have to ride in a cart behind either of them. They had left early in the evening the previous night after bidding Lucy farewell.

Gajeel had snickered at the way that Natsu had fretted over her. The fire mage had made her promise to not go anywhere.

Lucy had kissed his cheek and told him that she'd be fine.

Now, they were on their way to the ruins.

Or they had been, until the _goddamn storm had blown over_!

Salutem and the horse Natsu had been using didn't look concerned, only expertly turned their faces so that they were hidden by their backs. Neither minded being used as a shield, and Natsu and Gajeel were both grateful for the fact.

The storm had been raging for what seemed like hours.

Why couldn't it _end_?! He just wanted to find his goddamn shrimp and get the fuck out of Oak Town. And figure just who the hell Metalicana thought he was, disappearing for years before showing back up only to take away the pair of people he was most fond of.

Well...technically, the person and the cat he was most fond of, but Lily was a person in his own right.

Gajeel bared his teeth irritably, glancing up as his wild hair billowed around his head in a gust. Natsu snickered before hiding his face in his scarf, having pulled it off and tied it carefully around his neck rather than just wrapping it with the risk of losing it to the wind.

It seemed like forever had passed before the wind finally began to die down.

It was only when Salutem twisted his head to sniff at the still rather fierce wind that Gajeel risked a look over his shoulder. It was slowing, enough so that he was certain it would be over fairly quickly.

"C'mon, Salamander," he called over the wind, shaking his hair out as best as he could. It'd be a pain in the ass to brush. He'd have to enlist Lily's help, possibly. It wouldn't be the first time. "Let's pack up!"

Natsu ruffled his own pink hair to try and get sand out of it, blinking his onyx eyes thoughtfully. "That was weird. Never been in a sandstorm before."

"Is that what it was?" Gajeel grunted as he coaxed Salutem to his feet, aware that the animal was far more intelligent than the snorting horse that Natsu was yanking to its feet. Salutem sprang to his hooves with ease, sharp teeth showing as he opened his mouth to taste the sandy air.

They still had to wait for the sun to come back. And it would be a long wait, though he expected it to only take a few minutes. He was growing impatient.

Metalicana.

The father he'd missed for over seven years was close, so close that he could nearly touch him - more like kick him to hell and back because of his stupid abandoning that he'd done.

Bastard.

At least Levy and Lily were well protected, right?

They waited around for another hour or so before the sun broke through the dusty air. Gajeel determined which direction they needed to head in, and then swung up onto Salutem. The deer struck the ground impatiently with a hoof, and Gajeel somehow felt that it was just as eager as he was.

As soon as Natsu was settled and ready to go, he muttered a word, and Salutem sprang forward. Natsu's horse lunged after, hooves striking the sand loudly as it galloped after him. Gajeel was glad to have the larger animal.

The desert horse was much smaller than the one he'd used before, and he would have likely crushed it with his heavy weight. Natsu may have been strong, but he was confident that he outweighed the other mage.

Wishing he had the bookworm around to do some quick calculating, Gajeel summed up that they had perhaps a good six or so hours before they finally reached the outskirts of the ruins, and another three after that before they found the pit he remembered. They'd grabbed as much water as they could carry, though Gajeel had made sure to tell Natsu that there was an oasis of sorts.

Within the next twelve hours, he'd have found his father _and_ his cat.

And Levy.

But she wasn't his at all.

Something in the back of his mind shouted and cursed him for not doing anything about that, but Gajeel ignored it and focused on the situation at hand. Such things could come later. This was far more important.

He would deal with the matter later, when he could focus on it. He was too distracted now.

"What if Metalicana decides he doesn't want anything to do with us?" Natsu's sudden call over the sound of pounding hooves and sand flying was heard with ease, and shocked the iron dragon slayer. He glanced back, scowling.

"He ain't gettin' a choice. We're goin' for the shrimp and Lily, and he owes me a damn explanation."

Natsu snorted. "Maybe he'll know where Igneel is." Gajeel barely heard him mutter the statement under his breath, but he managed to catch it, and he felt a flash of understanding. Salamander wasn't his favorite person, but he knew that one of the most important things to him outside of his partner, team, and the guild itself was Igneel.

Igneel was the reason that Natsu wore a scarf in the ridiculous heat of the desert when most people wouldn't have.

He shrugged. Personally, Gajeel kind of wanted to find Grandeeney for their younger friend, who often times cried for her mother when she was ill, according to those at Fairy Hills. Natsu had Lucy to distract him. Gajeel didn't give a shit. Sure, he was plenty happy that they were finding Metalicana - so that he could tell him just how angry and hateful he was over the fact that the bastard had abandoned him.

Crimson eyes darkened with hatred at the thought and he scowled.

To hell with Metalicana.

The bastard could go and die for all he cared, and Gajeel wouldn't bat an eye at such a thing happening.

He hated him.

He hated him more than he hated himself, and that was really saying something, because he detested what he'd done, what he'd become before Fairy Tail. He truly hated himself at the latest times of night, when nightmares crept in and reminded him of the damage he'd done.

But he hated Metalicana more.

"Hey!" Natsu suddenly shouted, pointing ahead of them at a shape in the distance. Gajeel squinted, trying to figure out what it was. "S'a desert wyvern, isn't it?"

"A dead one," Gajeel grunted, slowing Salutem to a trotting pace when they got close enough to investigate. Flies had gathered around its blankly staring eyes and the sticky blood that still oozed from sand-crusted wounds. He took one look at the iron in its chest, the teeth marks, and then said, "That's my old man's work. Fucker must have invaded his space or somethin'."

Natsu merely used his scarf to cover his nose, disgusted with the carcass. "Ugh. It reeks."

"Yeah, it does," he agreed, covering his own with his hand. As they were picking their way around the body, a sound suddenly pierced their ears, and Gajeel tensed, listening to the gravelly sound. It was high-pitched, metal scraping on metal, and a sound that he knew as well as he knew the emblem that sat on his shoulder.

"Dragon," Natsu uttered.

"Metalicana," Gajeel confirmed, and then urged Salutem into an outright spring. "C'mon, Salamander!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Tired of waitin' around!"

"You're the one going slow!" Natsu shouted back, digging his heels into his horse's side so that it shot forward at full speed, snorting in annoyance at the excited dragon slayer's rough riding. It sawed at the bit, looking as if it was contemplating what would happen if it threw its rider.

Gajeel silently told it that if it dared to even think about doing such a thing, he'd rip it to shreds.

* * *

"Oh, wow," Levy breathed as she was gently placed on the ground by giant iron jaws, studying the new mounds of sand that covered the area around them. The buildings that made up the ruins had been nearly buried. Metalicana grunted as he rested his head on the ground beside her. Levy noted that she barely reached the start of his lower jaw's teeth.

"Sand," Lily spat in disgust, trying to claw some from his fur. He was annoyed with it, detesting that it even existed.

Levy giggled and scooped him into her arms to brush the sand off for him. "Hold on, Lily, I'll help you." She helped swipe the sand from the Exceed's fur, plucking it out with practiced ease before fixing her own hair, sweeping it back and keeping it there with her headband. She propped her hands on her hip, and then stared in shock as Metalicana reached his head forward.

He promptly began to nose through the sand to free the building that they'd been using before the storm had blown over. Between his massive snout and the heavy breathing he used to get through it, there was soon a somewhat decent entrance into the building.

"The winds will blow away the remaining sand," the dragon rumbled. He reared his head back and sniffed at the air thoughtfully before suddenly inhaling sharply. Levy slammed her hands over her ears, and Lily did the same to his ears a second before the dragon roared, the sound like metal scraping against metal.

When he was done, she asked curiously, "Why do you do that?"

Metalicana grunted, looking down at her and tilting his head just slightly. "Do what, shrimp?"

She glared, and then clarified, "Make sounds like that? You don't want to be found, so why make sounds like that?"

"Scares people. Keeps 'em away. Warns off the desert dwellers." His tongue came to loll out of his mouth as he snorted, a cackle escaping his large body. He sank back into his den, and Levy blinked a few times when he growled, lowering himself, "I can hear and feel it in the sands. Someone's comin' within the next twenty four hours. When they get closer, I'll let ya in, little one. Don't know if it's the fucker who scared ya."

"Thanks?" Levy questioned in confusion before glancing at Lily. The Exceed shrugged, and then crossed his arms with a smug look.

"Want me to fly over and take a look?" he offered. "I've been told we look bird-like when we're high enough. And there's desert creatures that look similar to our shadows."

"That might be smart," Levy murmured. She glanced to Metalicana with a hopeful look. "Is that alright? Do you mind if Lily does? That way we can fix the sand again if we have to."

Metalicana's red eyes glinted for a moment as he contemplated, and then the iron dragon simply clicked his jaws. "I don't care," he muttered, lowering his head back into his den. "Don't approach 'em if they're humans that don't look dangerous."

"Got it," Lily agreed, his wings appearing at his back.

Before he could take off, however, Levy stopped him and then darted into the building they'd cleaned up. When she came back out, she smiled and tied a small headband around his eyes. "To protect them," she explained, using her magic to make sure that he could see through the black. "From the sun. Be careful, okay? I don't want to explain to Gajeel someday why his cat went missing. You know he'd get mad."

"I'll be back soon," Lily promised, and then smiled when she gave him a hug. When she'd released him, he hopped up, zipping up into the air and gone from sight in only seconds. Levy watched after him, blue hair shifting around her face in a soft breeze for a second as she watched after him, shading her eyes from the sun.

And then she turned away, determined to clean the sand out of their temporary house.

Metalicana simply growled quietly from where he was hiding in his hoard and den, and Levy smiled to herself, humming quietly as she worked. She swept the sand out of the house with her foot, using the side of it despite the heat and blisters it was leaving. By the time she was done, she was limping, her skin cracked and bloody. She bit her lip as she looked down at her sandaled feet and winced, going to find their water supply. She grabbed a water bottle, and then tucked herself carefully onto a shaded block, which was warm from the heat, but the sun had yet to cross, leaving it useable.

She rinsed her feet off, wincing in pain as she did so.

"So that wasn't very smart," she told herself, shaking her head with a sigh. "My brain's getting less smart as time goes on...hopefully it'll return when I go home...and now I'm talking to myself. Isn't that lovely," she muttered.

She rested her head back after adjusting her headband, her throat thick with sorrow.

She missed Fairy Tail.

Levy never wanted to take a job again.

* * *

They'd just begun to see the ruins when they chose to stop for a while and let the animals rest. Gajeel was fidgeting anxiously, wanting to get to where they were going, because on their mounts, they were only a few hours from the pit he'd seen. Dusk had come, and he really thought that if they kept up the pace they were going, they'd make it before darkness fell completely.

Especially with the literal torch who'd lit himself on fire.

Natsu didn't look the least bit concerned by the flames swirling around him. In fact, he studied them curiously, watching how when Salutem began to paw at the sand, spraying the flames, they flickered.

"I've never used fire in a desert," he commented.

"That's because you're a fuckin' idiot," Gajeel said gruffly, and then turned away to adjust some of the leathers that kept the saddle secure on Salutem's back. He made sure none of them would come free, frowning. "Give the horse some water, Salamander, don't wanna overheat 'em. Or we'll never get there."

"Right." Natsu lessened the flames, and then put them out completely when the horse shied away. Using his palm to let it drink water, he mused, "I can smell more iron. We're gettin' close, right?"

"Yeah." Gajeel grunted in thought as he looked up to where the stars were beginning to come out, studying them while he did the same for Salutem. "Should only be an hour or two before we get there."

"What if that isn't where they are?" Gajeel glared at him for the idea, and Natsu shrugged. "Guardian creature, I know. But it might really be a guardian. Metalicana might be somewhere else."

"Nah," he argued. "There was blood and iron together."

"Whatever you say, man, just thinking." Natsu wrinkled his nose in thought.

It was while they were doing final adjustments that the sound of wings filled his ears. He paused, and then glanced up, a low and threatening growl in his throat. He scowled at the sky. "The fuck is that?"

Natsu opened his mouth to answer.

And promptly received a face full of...something. He wheezed in surprise, toppling over, and Gajeel shot over to investigate, curious. He plucked the black cloth from Natsu's face and investigating it before he finally recognized the familiar scent.

Wings beat at the air above them, a sound he recognized when he payed attention.

A sharp-toothed smirk crossed his face as he bellowed, "Lily!"

The familiar voice was like music to his ears as Lily rumbled back from above, "Took you long enough." He dropped, coming to hover before the dragon slayers. Gajeel didn't hesitate to snatch him out of the air, grinning as he crushed him in a tight hug. Lily wheezed for air, clawing for Natsu as if he'd be able to help.

"Gajeel," he wheezed. "Can't breathe!"

"Where's Levy?" Natsu demanded.

"Back at the ruins," Lily told him, "We were told to stay there. Our, uh, captor-"

"Metalicana," Gajeel cut in, growling now. He let Lily go, glaring over in the direction they'd been going. "Fucker."

"Metalicana said that I could fly over and see who was coming around. I wasn't to approach them if they were humans who didn't look dangerous. But Natsu was lit up like a firework, so I figured it counted as dangerous."

Natsu gave him a toothy grin, looking rather ridiculous as he bragged, "I _am_ dangerous."

"You're a goddamn _moron_ ," Gajeel uttered and then narrowed his crimson eyes. "She's okay?"

"Levy's fine," he confirmed. "Hot, sweaty, and sore, but fine. She was frightened a bit this morning." Lily explained what had happened earlier in the day, and Gajeel gave a deafening growl at that bit of information. "We don't know who it was, but they're gone. For now."

"We're comin' tonight," Gajeel growled. He rolled his shoulders, grabbing Salutem's reins and glaring at Natsu until he did the same. "Ya tell her that, ya got me?"

"Yes." Lily hopped back up into the air, tail flicking. He paused, however, and then said with a guilty tone, "I'm sorry for all of the trouble we've caused."

"Ain't your fault the bastard's a dragon," was the only response he received.

Lily smirked and then flew off, contemplating just what might happen when they arrived.

* * *

 _Ahhh! The reunion is coming! At last we'll get to see them together, eh? To Mechanical-Rose-Sama, who asked a question in their review for the fifth chapter...I did in fact make that riddle up. i am very proud of it, to be honest. Thanks to reviewers (Mechanical-Rose-Sama, Littlestme, and AfterWriter!) as well as those who favorited and followed.  
_


	9. Iron Attitudes

**. Oculto .**

* * *

Levy sat outside of her current residence with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, eyes searching the dark skies for her friend. Lily hadn't come back yet, and she was worried. Tucking a loose lock of blue hair behind her ear, she glanced over to where a dozing Metalicana's head lay just above the sands.

He looked peaceful, like a benevolent sort of deity as he rested. His metallic jaws were parted just slightly, keeping check of the winds that blew across them in case someone he didn't like came their way. He was nearly invisible in the darkness of night.

It was while she was adjusting her blanket to curl up on her side that the familiar rustle of wings flooded her ears. She hurried to her feet, yawning hugely - just as Lily delicately landed on top of her head. He purred softly in greeting, and then said in his low rumbly voice, "They're fine. Going to arrive tonight, but they're not whoever stopped by earlier."

What? He couldn't have fun with this? He was just trying to help the iron mage who refused to admit anything.

"Oh." Levy sat down again, reaching up to grab Lily and tuck him safely in her lap. She wrapped the blanket around both of them, shivering at the chill of the night, her shorts meant for the daytime. "I see. We'll have to keep low then. So no one comes to investigate."

Lily snorted. "No promises," was all he said before winding his tail reassuringly around her wrist and cuddling close to try and offer some warmth. Levy leaned against the doorway, closing her eyes to doze where she sat, not wanting to lay down entirely.

They'd been like that for a while - Levy had actually fallen asleep for a few moments it seemed like - when she first heard the thudding. Instinct after the terrifying moment in the morning had her snapping upright, disorientated, and she looked over to Metalicana, who had begun to awaken himself. His tongue darted out like a snake's, and then he rumbled and sank out of view, an illusion of sand crossing across the pit to hide him from view.

Relaxing, Levy yawned and patted the sleeping Lily's head before closing her eyes again. If Metalicana wasn't trying to eat them, then she'd be fine. Besides, Lily was beside her. He'd keep her safe.

She thought she heard the irritable click of Metalicana's jaws as he listened, and smiled to herself.

The hooves stopped, the hiss of voices in her ears. She listened in silence, dozing again, too tired to do much else after her "busy" day. Heavy footsteps on sand as whoever it was tried to figure something out.

Not at all bothered by the sounds, comforted by Metalicana's relaxing form, Levy fell asleep entirely, not hearing the snickering that came from the man who finally found her, using his nose to guide his way while Natsu dealt with the animals for the night.

Gajeel grinned as he crouched to study them. Levy was exhausted, not even flinching when Lily shifted and got into a more comfortable position. Blue hair hung in her eyes, her headband gone, and there was a thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders to fend off the chill that neither he nor Natsu felt.

She was safe, he was relieved to notice, glancing at the pit behind him. He curled a lip.

Metalicana.

His father was in there.

The living torch wandered over, examining Levy carefully with his eyes to make sure she was safe before asking in a low voice, "They okay for the night? Or should we move them inside?"

Gajeel physically fought down the urge to push her hair away from where it was tickling her wrinkling nose. His hand had already been half way to touching it before he thought better of it and dropped his hand back to rest on his knee. "Nah. Might scare her a bit too much if we move her."

Natsu's flames flickered around him as he crossed his arms. "Okay. I've got the horse and whatever the hell that other one is tied up. Ya wanna take first watch or second?"

"I ain't sleepin' tonight," Gajeel grunted, forcing himself to his feet and making himself look at the Salamander. He was blinking sleepily, onyx eyes tired. So, with Gajeel's confirmation, Natsu shrugged his shoulders and led the way back to where he'd left their mounts, taking only seconds to put the blanket he'd brought out before collapsing on top of it, not seeming to mind the fact that there was no sand and that it was rather cold.

He was snoring away what seemed like a moment later and Gajeel grunted in annoyance, checking on their animals before eyeing the roof of a building and seeing that it was just high enough. He scaled the side of it with ease, and then tested the structure carefully before making himself at home on top of it.

It would do well for a place to rest until it was time to deal with the morning.

With that thought in place, Gajeel settled down to watch the stars, itching to simply throw the bookworm over his shoulder and leave as quickly as he could.

Confrontation wasn't his thing when it came to dragons.

* * *

The next morning, Levy opened her eyes to discover that Lily was gone and that Metalicana was still in hiding. She rubbed a kink out of her neck as she squinted at the sky, checking the time by using the sun. It was about midmorning...ten, maybe? She wasn't sure, but it was later than she usually slept.

Levy slid inside with a grumble, shedding her clothes quickly and putting on some fresh and clean clothes to get the day off in at least one good way. She ruffled her locks thoughtfully, arranging her blue hair so that it wasn't in her face as much, and then sought out a headband when her attempt didn't succeed.

When she was satisfied, her sandals strapped onto her blistered feet, Levy set out to search for Lily, not daring to call out for him. It didn't look like whoever had shown up had found her just yet…

The solid-script mage hugged her arms thoughtfully as she rounded a building.

And shrieked in shock and fear when she collided with someone taller than her - not hard to find, honestly - and nearly tipped back onto her ass as he yelped. The other person burst into flames and her first instinct was to put them out with a quick flick of her fingers.

The suddenly soaked man sputtered. "What the hell!?"

" _Natsu_?" Levy squawked, gawking at the equally shocked fire mage. She stared at him for a few seconds, and then squealed, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "Natsu! Oh, thank the heavens above that someone finally found me!"

Dripping wet and not daring to light a flame so close to her, he gave a rather large grin in response. "Hey, Levy. Was wonderin' when you'd wake up. Lily showed up like three hours ago and said you were exhausted. Lookin' for-"

"Oh, good, he's okay." Levy pulled back and crossed her arms with a warm smile, her foot tapping rapidly. "Where's Lucy? Is she here? She's never far from where you are…"

"Back at Oak Town, watching that one kid for his mother whenever she goes out." Natsu jerked his thumb back in the direction of the town he'd mentioned, and then folded his arms behind his head. "She figured out your riddle. We helped her. I was the first one to think of the difference in the last three letters-"

"We? Is Gajeel here?" Eagerness appeared on her face - followed by horror. "Oh, god," she moaned. "I'm dead. I didn't know what I was thinking, I shouldn't have made it so that he came, I should have made it so he somehow stayed in town, left a letter for Lucy-"

"He's here. Somewhere. I think. Been trying to find him for like an hour." Heat exploded from Natsu, and he didn't look bothered by the already hot desert air as he dried himself off, and then let it go. "I'm hungry and Lily said he cooks. 'Sides, if you asked, he'd probably do it. Then we got other things to deal with." He rubbed his hands together. "We've got questions, and lots of 'em."

"I don't know if Metalicana will come out, Natsu," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "We can try, right?"

"I suppose." Levy smiled, hopping up and down on her pained feet. "Come on, I want to find Gajeel. I'm hungry, too. I'm tired of having to make weird food to try and work with the fact that there's no stove out here."

"We don't have a stove," Natsu pointed out, to which she just gestured at him. He was practically a stove himself! Lucy had mentioned using him as a heater thousands of time when her apartment was too cold. Levy guessed that he knew she did, too, because he hung around much more in the winter months.

"Come on," she told him. "Let's go find Gajeel."

They checked in with Lily first, and then began to hunt up and down for the missing iron mage. Lily checked from above, Natsu and Levy from below. They slid into every building, careful to not step on any snakes that might have been there.

Levy was looking around for Natsu to see if he'd found anything when the ground suddenly jerked beneath her feet, and a furious roar filled the air. She whirled around, taking off at a run for the pit, suspicious. No doubt that was Metalicana...so why was he roaring when she now knew why he'd not checked on her this morning?

Natsu scampered from around the corner and Lily found her quickly, dropping into her arms without hesitation. She caught him, and they finally reached the pit that hid the iron dragon. Levy, somehow, knew where he'd be, and the figure standing in the center of the sandy pit proved her right.

Gajeel had shoved an iron limb through the sand and possibly the iron ceiling, slamming it into whatever he could find. A dark look was on his face, his dark hair sticking up all over the place. "Get yer ass out here, you fuckin' bastard! I know you're in there."

Levy tightened her grip around Lily. "Lily-"

He squirmed out of her grip, wings carrying him over to the iron dragon slayer as the ground trembled again, the sand and iron beneath Gajeel's feet beginning to disappear. He plucked Gajeel away just in time for a massive set of jaws to snap up out of the ground, crashing together loudly. The ground shook with the heaviness of Metalicana's steps as he hauled himself out, supporting what looked like a scratch on his massive iron hide.

Gajeel squirmed, trying to get free, but Lily kept his grip on him, instead depositing him before Levy, who threw her hands in the air. "You jerk! I've been looking all over for you with Natsu, and you're going to piss off the dragon!"

He shot her a sharp look and jabbed her in the forehead with a finger. She winced, touching the spot when he stopped. "You're the one who vanished into thin fucking air, woman, so shut it!"

"That's not my fault," Levy protested, but Gajeel ignored her and turned on Metalicana, who was glaring daggers at them all.

"The fuck was that for, brat?" he snapped, clicking his jaws to show his rage. His teeth snapped together with the sound of flint striking to create a fire, and sparks flew as he released another guttural roar, furious.

Gajeel was just as angry, snarling back in a rage-filled roar, "What the hell have you been doing after abandoning me, huh? Do ya even know what happened? I nearly freaking killed half a dozen people that actually like me now." He jerked a thumb in Levy's direction. "Because of you!"

Jaws clicked again. "You ungrateful useless lump, after everything that I have done-"

"Like leaving your kid to be picked up by a dark guild?" Gajeel growled, eyes staring into Metalicana's. "What kind of father are you? At least this freak turned out alright - I _killed people_ , damn it!"

Understanding filled Levy then as she hugged Lily to her again, misery filling her. He wasn't upset because he'd been left behind. Gajeel was angry with Metalicana because of what had happened after he'd left. Because of the death and destruction he'd caused afterwards.

Levy understood his hatred then.

She knew that he considered himself a monster - she'd told him dozens of times to not, but how could someone just stop thinking in such a way when it was what he'd taught himself to be?

Metalicana growled, head lowering as he peered at him with one eye. Even Gajeel was dwarfed by the dragon, and he was so much taller than she was. Sensing danger as Metalicana's jaws parted, his tongue lolling out in his anger, Natsu suddenly swept forward, plunging a hand protectively in front of Levy. He growled, too, glaring between the two.

"Natsu," Levy said impatiently, and then squeaked when shrapnel suddenly came flying at them when Gajeel released a sudden Iron Dragon's Roar. He didn't care where it went, who it struck, only that it touched his target. Metalicana didn't bat an eye and roared once more, the sound piercing their ears.

Gritting her teeth and ignoring the trickling of liquid that left her ears as well as pain pierced her eardrums, she scowled. Natsu made a sound of pain and then told her under his breath, "We should go-"

"No," she said stubbornly. So much for a happy reunion. If this was how it was going to be, then she'd deal with their idiocy herself. She shoved past Natsu's arm and he swore, scrabbling to grab her, but she was having none of it. "Gajeel, you idiot!" she cried, slamming into him while he was trying to block the sound of the dragon's roaring. He went down into the sand face first, sputtering and swearing as sand flew into his mouth and eyes.

"The fuck, Levy!"

She scrambled to her feet and simply started jumping on his back, knowing better than to think that she could use anything other than her full weight. "You," she seethed as he yelped. "I was hoping you'd show up, but to think you'd be this freaking _stupid_ -"

Metalicana actually paused in his temper to watch with surprise, a cackle rising in the back of his throat as he heard her demand that he apologize. Gajeel snarled at her and told her that he wouldn't, in which Levy responded by using her magic to trap him with his face half-buried.

"Holy hell," Natsu whispered from where he stood by Lily. "She's as scary as Mira almost."

"Yes," Lily agreed, "She is."

Metalicana's massive head jerked up when a furious Levy turned on him. Red eyes watched in shock as she started shouting at him, too. "And _you_! You're supposed to be some great and powerful dragon who has this badass book collection, but you're bickering back like a child! You were going to blow away all the books beneath us, you know that? That's your hoard!"

Natsu was sure that even Igneel would have cowered beneath the look Levy wore as Metalicana grumbled, "They're books, little fairy. Ain't like they're irreplaceable."

"Should we interrupt?" he muttered.

"Nope. Let Levy belt it out," Lily sighed. "She's been distressed. The man yesterday morning and waiting with uncertainty about you all coming meant she's been barely able to sleep. She's been worried about a lot of things and I believe she's finally snapped."

"Ah," he muttered.

There was a pause, silence outside of Gajeel's bellowed demands, Metalicana's grumbled replies, and a rage-filled Levy's cries.

"Hungry? I can cook something we brought," Natsu offered. "Not good with the seasonings, but I can fry it instantly."

"Food," Lily agreed. "Other than coconuts."

And the pair left the other three to deal with one another, neither willing to interrupt.

* * *

"Oi. Woman. Let me up."

"No."

"Why not? Fucker's gone. Ain't like I can try anything."

"No. You made me mad." Levy swiped tears away from her eyes, angry when they brimmed. She hated angry crying. It was ugly, and made her look horrendous. And it gave people satisfaction about pissing her off.

It was near evening already, her stomach was rumbling, and Metalicana - after Levy had finished screaming - had grouchily gone to investigate a strange and alarming presence in the desert. It had made her nervous and worried after the adventures of the previous morning, and he'd been more concerned about the safety of his newfound temporary companion then the fact that he'd been discovered by his angry son.

"You're hungry. And my back's killing me." Gajeel scowled, irritated that he'd been trapped by Levy of all people, the young woman he'd assisted at Tenrou. He'd spent the last countless days hunting her down, and this was how she repays him? Trapping him? "Woman, I chased your ass around for the last fuckin' week. Let me up."

"...fine." Levy sighed, flicking her fingers so that her spell dissipated. Gajeel was up in an instant, seating himself near her in the sand and rubbing his back with a grimace. He shot her a small glare. She returned it with teary eyes, her lip trembling, and he swore.

"The fuck are you cryin' for, shrimp?"

"Nothing, I guess. You upset me. And I'm happy." She swiped at her eyes, tilting her head back so that her blue hair spilled around her shoulders. Her hands rubbed her arms thoughtfully for a moment before she spoke again. "I was scared you wouldn't find us and then we'd be stuck here until Metalicana said we could go home, which would have been years. So thank you, I guess. I owe you one."

"Yeah you do," he muttered, and then snorted, reaching behind him to pat roughly on her head. She yelped, and he grinned at the feel of her hair beneath his fingers, a reassuring feeling after worrying that he'd find her dead. He wasn't expecting her to lean into the touch, though, and he had to make a strange sound to cover up his wheeze.

He couldn't cover it up, however, when she suddenly turned and threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his thick torso in a hug, a shaky sob escaping her. Terrified and uncertain of what he should do, he awkwardly patted her shoulder. "Oi…"

She pressed her face into his chest, trembling violently. "Thank you," she managed to get out just barely. "I didn't think anyone would come, so thank you!"

Gajeel studied her for a few brief moments and then hesitantly brought his arm around her, hugging her lightly, unsure of whether or not it was a smart idea. "Well we weren't just gonna leave ya there… Mira was worried and the old man agreed, so…"

Levy sniffled, shaking her head slowly. "I should have taken someone. I should have asked someone. There...there was s-slavers, and then w-we came across Metalicana and-"

He patted her on the head rather roughly on the head to shut her up and then shifted her, figuring that if she was going to be clingy, she might as well be comfortable. "Fucker. Tried to keep ya here…"

"Don't hate him," she mumbled, surprising him. He glanced down at her. "He was excited. Metalicana was happy when he figured out that we were your friends." She ignored the grunt he made at her words. "He was asking about you. He was worried that you hated him. He was worried about you, Gajeel, he wanted to know if you were happy." Her lips trembled again, threatening to release more cries, and he mumbled something she didn't hear.

"The hell are you crying for now," he demanded when she suddenly made a choked sound.

"I don't know anymore," she admitted, stifling a sob.

They remained like that for a while, Gajeel reluctantly relaxing as time went on and he soothed the solid-script mage as best as he could. His sharp ears kept listening for the familiar sound of heavy wings, but they didn't come.

Finally, Lily came out of where he and Natsu had been hiding and hovered above them with a slight smile on his face. "You two hungry? Natsu roasted something that he and Gajeel brought with them. We might as well eat."

"Uh, yeah," Gajeel grunted, "Food sounds good. Come on, shorty, 'fore the idiot eats all of it."

"Kay," she mumbled, voice hoarse. She climbed to her feet with Gajeel's help - the iron mage set her upright with a quick movement - and then hugged her arms to fend off the approaching chill. "You guys can stay in the little building we have set up. If you want."

"Eh. Salamander was havin' fun with the sand," he said with a grunt.

Lily dropped into the solid-script mage's arms, and she hugged him. He gave a soft purr, as if trying to comfort her quietly, and she beamed at him. Gajeel watched them for a moment, frowning, then shrugged and gently nudged the young woman forwards. She stumbled with a wince, and then caught herself.

He noticed instantly. "You hurt, shrimp?"

"My feet are all blistered," she explained in a mumble. "I didn't get good shoes when we were in Oak Town for that short while, I got sandals, so…"

Gajeel snorted in amusement and rolled his eyes, searching the skies for a moment before telling her gruffly, "Ya need to use that brain of yours, woman. Ya got it. Why ain't ya using it?"

"I was busy coming up with a riddle for you," she protested, making him snicker.

"About time!" Natsu called when they found him, a fire held in his open palm. There was no wood around to burn, meaning no place for a fire during the night, so he'd taken care of the problem by becoming a human torch again. "Didn't have any good meat, but hot dried stuff is better than nothing, right?"

"Thanks," Levy said when he handed her a piece, warning her to be careful of the heat. She nibbled thoughtfully at it after sitting beside him, enjoying the warmth that the fire he'd created gave off. Lily sat in her lap without hesitation, keeping her company. Gajeel grunted and shoved a piece of iron he'd brought with him into his mouth.

"So...what are we gonna do tomorrow?" Natsu questioned. "Luce is gonna be worried."

In other words, the dragon slayer was anxious to get back to his partner and make sure she was alright. But by the look of distress on his face, he wanted to demand questions from Metalicana, who had yet to return.

"How about," Levy murmured thoughtfully, "We wait until Metalicana comes back? Gajeel can _politely_ ," she glared at the iron mage, daring him to say otherwise, "Speak with him, you can ask whatever you need to ask with the understanding that he won't answer everything, and then we'll head back? I'm ready to go home."

"Works for me," Gajeel grunted. "Don't even wanna talk with the bastard."

"Well, you are," Levy told him, leaving no room for protest. She bit into the food she'd been given. "And I want to say goodbye. I like Metalicana, nothing is his fault. Circumstances just suck."

Natsu thoughtfully flared the flame in his hand. "I hope that he can tell me where Igneel is. I want to find him. Even if I can't stay with him anymore. I want to see him."

Levy smiled gently, her heart aching for the hopeful dragon slayer, because she knew that Metalicana wasn't going to give away any information about where Igneel was. "We'll see," was all she said to him, and then finished her meal quickly. She waited until Lily had finished eating to hug him again.

The Exceed, surprisingly tolerant of her need for comfort, only purred again and wrapped his tail affectionately around her wrist as she began to scratch behind his ears. The small group sat peacefully around the fire that Natsu had created for a while, and Levy had just begin to doze off, Gajeel muttering complains under his breath when she leaned against him, head lolling, when he heard it.

Natsu snapped to attention, too, searching the darkening skies with care.

The unsteady beating of heavy metallic wings.

Gajeel's crimson eyes locked on the massive shadow in the sky as it appeared.

And watched with shock as it fell to the earth, creating a tremor that was felt for hundreds of miles around them.

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait! Been busy trying to get some ideas sketched out and I'm satisfied with what I've come up with! Thanks to reviewers (Littlestme, AfterWriter, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, Delione, and Tickle!) as well as those who favorited and followed!  
_


	10. Blood Amongst the Sands

**. Oculto .**

* * *

Levy's eyes sprang open when she was shaken awake, her heart pounding in her chest. She shot to her feet a split second before Gajeel did, and Lily growled, "What the hell's going on?"

"He fell," Natsu whispered as Gajeel darted forwards, heading towards the shadow. "Metalicana fell from the sky."

" _What_?" Levy raced after Gajeel and Natsu finally shook his head before coming after them. Her dark eyes filled with concern as she ran through the sands of the desert, and then skidded to a stop beside the shocked Gajeel, who stood before his father with wide crimson eyes. "Oh, no," she breathed.

Metalicana had managed to sit himself upright so that he was lying on the ground properly, but his sides heaved as he sucked in breath. An entire section of his flank had been torn away. Metallic pieces of armor curled up and smoldered, damaged from whatever had happened, and blood spilled heavily from the wound.

Levy thought she could see bone.

Hands clasped over her mouth, she cried, "What happened?!"

Metalicana grunted, massive head lowering to their level and making even Gajeel look tiny. Natsu nudged Levy back a step, noting that the pool of blood beneath him had begun to creep closer. "Dunno," the dragon finally muttered.

"How do you not know?" Gajeel said angrily, his eyes flashing with rage. How dare someone hurt Metalicana like this?! That was his job! He was the only one who was allowed to attack the dragon after the years he'd left him alone for.

Metalicana growled, the sound gurgling strangely in his chest. "I said," he snapped, clicking his jaws in agitation, "That I did not know, Gajeel."

For some reason, the use of his name made Gajeel's mouth snap shut, and he turned to glare in the direction that Metalicana had come from. "Then I'm gonna go look-"

Levy grabbed his arm, dropping Lily, and the Exceed swore in surprise when he hit the ground. Using all of her body weight to make him drag her in an attempt to stop him, she demanded. "Gajeel, whatever did this did this to a _dragon_. That kind of injury would rip you into pieces!"

"She's right," Lily agreed, brushing his fur off. He lifted his gaze to the iron dragon slayer. "I don't recommend going alone."

Gajeel grunted. "Then you can go with me, Lily."

" _No_ ," Levy snapped, panicked. "Natsu-"

"She's right," Natsu muttered, onyx eyes thoughtful for once. "We can't just...go off. Nothing hurts a dragon like that unless it's another dragon or something similar." Silence fell, and Natsu looked a little smug, as if proud that he was right for once. "And Luce is still back at that lady's. She's probably freaking out. We can't just wander off and leave her there. She'd come looking and get herself hurt."

"What Natsu said," Levy said quickly, her eyes darting to him. She smiled faintly in gratitude before saying cautiously, "How about this. Gajeel, you and I will stay here, try to see what we can do to stop the bleeding on Metalicana. Natsu and Lily can take whatever you used to get here back to Oak Town and grab Lucy as well as some supplies to help take care of the wound. And some more supplies. And then we'll all go investigate."

"I like that idea," Natsu supplied. "'Sides. Lucy might have found something else out in the time that we've been here. She does that kinda stuff all the time."

Gajeel growled furiously, but finally muttered, " _Fine_ , go get bunny girl and supplies so we can go. Shorty, the hell do you have that we can use?"

"I'll take the deer," Natsu decided, and then turned and darted away to get to work on saddling Salutem.

Lily hovered in the air before Gajeel and Levy, eyes warning as he said, "Don't leave without us. Levy, see if you can find my sword while we're gone, I've been looking for it for days and can't find it."

"Right," Levy said with a curt nod, bidding the cat farewell. She watched with a bit of sadness as he flew to Natsu's side, their forms fading into the distance. She'd been with Lily for a while now, and she knew that they'd grown close. It hurt a little to watch him leave.

But then she focused on Metalicana, who grumbled about them not seeing what he wanted done. Without fear, she moved closer, ignoring the way her feet sloshed through sticky blood and sand to get to him. Gajeel waited, watching warily as she examined the injury and decided, "Gajeel. Cleanest building with my supplies in it. Bring me all of the blankets in there - there should be two - and anything that will help the blankets stick to Metalicana. And then you're going to have to break off all of these pieces that are sticking up around the injury so we can lay it out smoothly."

Metalicana grunted as he shifted, his talons scraping across the ground. "You will do no such thing."

"Yes," Levy bit back, "We will, or you'll make it worse, so shut up and let us do it."

He looked a little surprised by Levy's snapping, but then snorted and lowered his head so that his eye was near her head, staring at her. "Don't forget, little one. Ya made me disobey an order from the Fire Dragon King. I can eat you if I want."

"Go right ahead," she challenged. "Then who'll make sure you don't bleed out?"

Gajeel bit back a snicker. It was hilarious watching the woman who was smaller than most argue with a dragon that was equivalent to several hundred of her. He left to get what she wanted, hearing the distant thudding of hooves on sand as Natsu left. A strange call filled the air - Salutem, he recognized. The deer was announcing its leaving to them, as if checking to make sure it was alright, and he grinned.

Maybe he'd buy that deer off of the man who owned it. He kinda liked the weird animal.

Gajeel found the building that Levy had mentioned, recognizing it as the one she'd sat in the doorway of. He dug around inside for a short while, and then found what he was looking for and shouldered anything he thought would work to get Levy what she wanted.

He grabbed a towel that he'd make sure to keep separate, because he didn't want her to have dried blood slicking her feet until they were done with whatever the hell was happening now.

By the time he'd returned, Levy had finished arguing with the dragon, and it appeared that she had won. Smug, he let her examine his choices thoughtfully before she murmured, "This'll do. Go cut off the pieces while I start fixing this stuff up."

Not exactly eager to slosh through blood, Gajeel smirked at the cautiously watching Metalicana. Anger flashed through him at the superior look in Metalicana's eyes - one he'd always had. Metalicana was a proud dragon who prided himself on being who he was. How often did one get to say that they were a dragon?

He'd taught his son that manner.

 _"How often do brats like you get to say that you're a dragon slayer?"_

It had been a long time since he'd hoisted himself onto his father's back. Metalicana made a rumbling sound in the back of his throat, but Gajeel ignored it, fingers turning into metallic barbs that let him dig into his father's heavy plating. Once on his back, he went to work, turning his arm into a saw.

Levy's faint voice called up, "Will it hurt?"

He snorted. "S'like cutting dead skin off." A pause as he turned furious crimson eyes on the grouchy dragon. "If you move that tail and squash her, I'll fucking kill you."

"I'm fond of the little one," Metalicana bit back, flicking said tail irritably. "Don't think that I would harm her, brat."

Their bickering continued as Gajeel sawed through the ruined plating with the sound of screeching iron in the air. Levy covered her ears, hating the sound, but watched to make sure neither of them tried to do anything she disapproved of.

It was pitch black out with the disappearing moonlight guiding his vision when he finished. Levy was exhausted, anxiously sitting just outside of the pool of blood that was slowly soaking into the sands, leaning against one of Metalicana's metallic limbs as he breathed softly over her, watching over the young woman, dozing.

Gajeel paused to look down, checking the damage before finally trampling across his father's back. He didn't say anything as he walked along the crest of Metalicana's neck and up to his head, sliding down his face and earning a snort for his efforts when he hit the ground beside Levy. She jumped in surprise. "Done," he said gruffly.

"'Bout time, brat."

Metalicana's grumbling voice filled their ears, and even Levy could hear the softness of it.

Metalicana had missed Gajeel, even if he was being an aggressive jerk about it, Levy noted, climbing to her feet.

She pretended not to see Gajeel suddenly press a hand over Metalicana's large nose, touching the familiar metal with calloused fingers. The way he grinned, showing his sharp teeth with a smug look in his eyes when Metalicana uttered something about him being stupid.

Levy hummed as she worked on figuring out just how they were going to cover the wound. The blankets wouldn't be enough, she realized as she looked up. But maybe…

"Solid-script: Bandage." She lifted her hand and scribbled the word out, grinning at the bandage that suddenly appeared over Metalicana's hide. He grunted in surprise, massive head snapping around to study it before he turned his gaze on Levy. She wiggled her fingers almost playfully.

"...not bad, girly," he decided, lowering his nose so that it just barely brushed over her head. She jumped at the gentle touch - and then screeched when his teeth caught the back of her clothes. Ignoring her protests, he lifted his head high.

And promptly dropped her.

"What the _hell_!" Gajeel shouted, diving forward to snatch her up before she hit the ground. He tripped in the process, barely flipping them so that the shrieking blue-haired woman landed on his stomach. He grunted in shock and wheezed for air as she scrambled off of him, screeching, "Why would you do that, you stupid hunk of metal?! You don't just drop humans!"

"Gihi," Metalicana cackled, the sound rasping heavily out of his chest in a way that made her stop and contemplate whether or not it had been Gajeel who'd laughed. "Shrimp's gotten yer attitude, brat."

"Oi," Gajeel snapped, glaring up at his adopted father irritably. "Don't call 'er that. My name for the bookworm."

"We're not fighting over nicknames," Levy gritted out, climbing to her feet and kicking Gajeel in the side. He didn't flinch, only smirked when she hit solid muscle and winced in pain. "We're yelling at _you_ for dropping me!"

Metalicana lowered his head again and she edged back, glaring warningly as he studied her. "Wanted ta see if my brat had some attachment."

"I told you we were friends," Levy protested, throwing her arms in the air. "Isn't that enough?"

"Not for dragons, shorty," Gajeel told her, sitting up and messing with his hair until the sand was out of it. Levy hated the fact that they were teaming up on her, but silently admitted that she appreciated it, because it meant that there was at least some sort of peace forming between the two.

At least they weren't trying to kill each other.

"Well then what do dragons require?" she bit out, annoyed.

But neither of them answered as she gave a huge yawn. Instead, Gajeel shot to his feet, brushing himself off and then grabbed Levy by the collar of her shirt. She squawked when he lifted her and began carrying her away from the dragon and towards the building she'd been using. "Go sleep, shorty, you're nearly passed out on your feet."

"I don't have a blanket and it's cold," she protested.

"Use your magic."

"My magic was all used up to make a bandage for Metalicana."

" _Ugh_ , you're so _needy_. Ya ain't gonna need it, Levy, the sun's gonna be up in a few hours and then you'll be regretting ever wantin' one."

"Well," she retorted, deciding she was tired of arguing. "I want it now, so stop complaining and go find it."

"Fine, fine," he growled, glaring at her for a moment before going to find one that wasn't slicked with blood that had crept along the sand. It took him a few minutes - mostly because Metalicana was snickering about how he didn't know how to stand up to a female. Eventually, he came back with one and simply draped it over her head. "There. Happy? Go sleep."

Levy moved to do just that, silently agreeing with him, and then stopped to point at his chest, poking it. "No fighting while I'm sleeping. If I find out you've done something to fight, I'm never making any iron for you again."

He smirked, roughly patting the top of her head. "Hate to break it to ya, shorty, but I can get iron elsewhere."

"Not my iron," she retorted, and then kicked his shin. He didn't flinch. "No fighting." And then she turned away, slipping into the building to nap.

 _I hope Lu gets here soon,_ she sighed silently.

Lucy could rival Mira and Erza sometimes, and it'd be useful keeping the dragon and Gajeel off of each other when it came to tearing the other apart. Particularly if she decided she wanted Natsu to interfere, because Natsu did whatever she wanted despite his protests that he really didn't.

Levy curled up where she'd been sleeping recently with Lily, missing the comfort of having her furry friend beside her, and pulled the blanket that had been retrieved over her, closing her eyes.

She missed Lily.

But she was comforted by the fact that the one she'd most wanted was just outside, awaiting her waking in the next few hours.

She just hope he refrained from getting ripped apart when he pissed his dragon parent off.

* * *

When Levy awoke, she discovered that half of the day had passed. Dismayed by this fact and frustrated because she knew that it meant she was messing up her sleep schedule, Levy headed outside and blinked, blinded by the sun.

Metalicana's gleaming hide didn't help her regain her sight as his massive head swung around to look at her, his red eyes sharp with amusement. "Hello, little one. The brat has gone to tend to the horse."

"Thank you for telling me," Levy said honestly touching his large nose before making her way around his body. It took her several moments to reach his flank at a jog and she frowned, inspecting the injury. "It's healing already?"

"Dragons heal fast," was all she got in reply as he lifted his head to search the surroundings.

Levy began to kick sand around, determined to hide away the disgusting sand from the previous night even as her stomach growled loudly, demanding food. She'd wait for Gajeel, see if any food was left for them to eat, or if she'd need to go and crack coconuts open again.

"Oi!" It was a while before she heard Gajeel's voice, and she smiled hugely when he appeared, arms crossed and the sleeves of his shirt removed. His scarred arms were bared for all to see, the iron studs glinting in the sunlight. "Finally up, shrimp?"

"Yes," she retorted, though she smiled up at him when he stopped beside her. He ruffled her hair, and she huffed as she fixed it so that her headband was straight. "Don't do that, this is my last headband. Metalicana's wound is healing nicely. So we just need to wait for Lily and the other two to come back, and then we'll head out. Right?"

"Thinkin' about leaving ya here with the bastard," Gajeel replied thoughtfully. "in case we don't come back. But ya wouldn't stay and Lily would kick my ass, so yeah."

"Damn right I'd kick your ass if you left me behind," the solid-script mage muttered. She licked her lips and then said, "Come on, I have some cleaning to do at the oasis Lily and I found. Help me?"

"Only since ya can't carry anything."

And he wanted her to be in his line of sight.

They headed back into the small house that Levy had been using, and she gathered up several clothes and blankets before guiding him through the sandy town, her eyes thoughtful. She paused when they reached the fresh water, dropping to her knees beside it and splashing it onto her face before telling him, "Took Lily and I forever to find this thing when we first came."

"Good thing ya did. Too hot for ya to not," he muttered back before adding the things he carried into the water. She glared as she quickly gathered them into a pile, and then spread out a blanket beside her after shaking it free of sand. She then began to dip one thing at a time into the water, trying to scrub it clean.

"Gajeel," she said after a moment, "You're not mad, right?"

He grunted. "The hell do I have to be mad about, shorty?"

"That I found Metalicana?" She hesitated. "I know you don't really hate him - don't lie to me, Gajeel, I know you don't," she added when he opened his mouth to make a retort. "I would have told you if I could. He threatened to destroy Oak Town if we didn't listen."

"Tch, sounds like him. Don't care about it," he told her. "So long as my cat's fine, I could care less. We're out of here soon as we figure out what attacked him."

"I don't want to leave him here alone, I think he was lonely and used his hiding as an excuse to keep us here." Levy's voice was sharp, her words leaving no room for argument. "He was alone, keeping everyone away for years to try and hide himself, Gajeel. He deserves company."

"Then he shouldn't have left." Gajeel's crimson eyes locked with her dark ones when she lifted them pleadingly, no sympathy in their depths. "Don't care who he is, or if he's lonely. He shouldn't have left if he wanted company. It's his own damn fault, Levy."

"...then you can go home, I'm staying," she retorted. Not really. She'd probably go home as soon as possible, but she'd make damn sure that she came back often. Because not even a dragon who had abandoned his child at a young age for a reason he wouldn't say deserved to be alone.

He smirked. "What? Think I won't drag ya back with me and tell Mira that you ain't allowed to take work anymore?"

"Mira isn't in charge of that," Levy bit back, though a look of unease flashed across her face, because Mira _was_. Mira was the one who chose whether or not someone could handle a job, not them!

"Sure she is," he drawled. "And the old man said she was, so ya can't go against that…"

"Gajeel," she protested, dropping the cloth she'd been cleaning. "He's hurt, someone has to make sure it heals right, and-"

"He took care of himself for years." The bitterness that had been gone earlier was back, she realized, the loss that he'd felt for years bubbling up. "Screw 'im."

"Gajeel-"

"Damn it, shorty, _no_." His voice was gruff and sharp, snapping at her irritably. He turned and stormed away after that, ignoring her call of his name as he headed away to do who knows what. She felt a flash of frustration mixed with a desperate need to chase after him.

So much for sticking close together while they were here...

Levy went back to scrubbing at the clothes viciously, frustration in her eyes.

"Stupid Gajeel," she mumbled, feeling angry tears in her eyes.

She'd missed him desperately, yet he still managed to piss her off. She scowled at the thought, furious.

Some things never changed, she guessed.

"Levy!"

Gajeel's voice filled her ears and she raised her head, furious, to shout at him to go away before he pissed her off again, but the alarm in it suddenly caught her attention. He bellowed at her to get down, sprinting at full speed towards her, and Metalicana's roar filled the air, a warning to those in his territory that he was there. She did as she'd been told and as soon as her head was nearly touching the water, he bellowed out an attack.

Iron skimmed her back and made blood trickle down her spine, but she didn't notice, screaming in shock when something met it just above her and turned it into a cyclone of death. She shuddered when black magic crossed her senses, turning her blood to ice.

Suddenly, she was dragged forward by the front of her clothes, her dark eyes meeting a malicious set of red that made Gajeel's eyes look like rubies. "Hello there," he practically purred, dark laughter leaving his lips. Dark hair fell around him like a spiky cloud, and she shrieked, kicking. She caught him by surprise, and he dropped her into the oasis. Sputtering and gasping, she shot backwards and up the hot bank until her back crashed into Gajeel's legs.

"Gajeel," she gasped, wheezing for air. He took a brief seconds to touch her head, making sure she was unharmed, and then snarled in a vicious manner. The ground trembled as Metalicana made his way over, his slow and heavy movements terrifying to the frightened Levy.

He glared at the strange man, cloaked in a cloak of black and scruffy clothing that was stained with blood. When he grinned, his teeth were sharp. "Knew there was a dragon slayer around here…"

"Who the hell are you and what the fuck do you want?" Gajeel snapped, reaching down without taking his eyes off of him to pull Levy to her feet. She clung to him, her fingers tangling in the front of his shirt. He tucked her safely against him, momentarily forgetting the fact that he was trying to distance himself from her.

"Tch." The man itched the back of his head, studying them for a moment before grinning hugely, showing off his teeth. "Looking for you," he hummed, as if it was a normal thing to say. his voice was hoarse, rough, like it hadn't been used.

Metalicana suddenly appeared, a growl deep in his throat as he leaned his head down to snap his jaws at the newcomer. "You're trespassing."

"Eh." He looked unconcerned as he apologized, "I'm sorry for frightening you there, lady. Haven't seen one as lovely as yourself in a while. Been out in the desert for a long time." She laughed carelessly, and then added, "I wanted a friendly brawl with another dragon slayer."

"...you were raised by a dragon?" Gajeel crinkled his nose, not recognizing the scent of him, and Levy only glared, pressing closer to the iron mage as if hoping he could hide her. "Well fuck off. Not in the mood."

"Aw, come on," the man whined. And then he grinned again, jabbing a thumb at himself. "I go by the name Eberos."

"Like I said, screw off, man." Gajeel turned cautiously, nudging Levy towards the dragon that was glaring viciously at Eberos. "I don't want anything to do with you. C'mon, shorty, go get changed. Stuff can't be fun to sit in."

But Levy ignored him, studying Eberos over her shoulder. "...how did you know we were here?"

"You kidding?" Eberos gave a friendly laugh that made a smile flicker across her face. "Could hear the dragon screaming from miles away. My hearing's rather sharp, you see?" He winked, tapping his head.

"Hm." Levy studied him before tugging away gently from Gajeel, intrigued. While the man's magic was based in darkness, he didn't seem to be bad. She assumed his magic was something like Rogue's. Clearing her throat, she planted her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, Eberos, but we aren't currently looking to do friendly brawls, so you'll have to look elsewhere. Sabertooth has other dragon slayers. Sting's always interested in a battle."

"Ah," hummed the other dragon slayer, "But I'm only interested in someone like your friend here, sadly. Close and who won't get cocky about it." His gaze darted to the dragon that was watching with a malicious look. "How about this. If I help you with whatever happened to your dragon, I get my fight."

"...they hurt a dragon, they could be dangerous," Levy admitted under her breath, looking to her friend with a hopeful look, but he was glaring down at her.

"No, Levy," he said.

"Sure," she told Eberos.

Whatever kept Gajeel safe and alive.

Eberos beamed, ignoring Gajeel's shout of outrage. "Great. When do we start?"

* * *

 _Introducing this weirdo who I somehow love…Eberos. Thanks to those who reviewed (EddingsFan, Usweasil, AfterWriter, trim, and metalican slayer) as well as those who favorited and followed! Sorry if your user isn't in the thanks part, they haven't all been showing up lately...  
_


	11. Flickers of Distrust

**. Oculto .**

* * *

"Thank you, this is delicious. Haven't had something this tasty in months!"

Levy watched out of the corner of her eye as Eberos tore into the meat that she'd given him. They were in the shade left by a building, avoiding the sun, and Gajeel stuck as close as possibly, his arm brushing hers as he grouchily munched on a piece of iron that she'd made for him despite their current arguing attitudes towards one another. Neither was willing to give in, yet Gajeel wasn't willing to leave she or Eberos alone for more than an instant.

So here they sat.

Metalicana was watching from where he rested, too, his head resting among the sand. The rest of his body had been placed with care in the massive pit, a growl rumbling like constant thunder in his chest. He, too, was watching the newcomer with care.

Yet Levy was finding herself to be rather fond of him.

Originally terrifying with his similarity to the darkest of her nightmares - something she never brought up around Gajeel - he was now like some kind of puppy. He was friendly, chatty, and overall...nice. He'd complimented them all despite Gajeel's disgusted sounds, and had earned a smile from Levy for his efforts to be friendly.

"Excuse me," he suddenly said, catching her attention, "But why aren't we leaving soon? I would have thought you'd be eager to leave immediately, Levy."

He might be friendly enough to gain a small flicker of trust from Levy, but she didn't like the way his tongue curled around her name.

And neither did Gajeel, if the way his lips pulled back to show his sharpened canines was anything to tell by.

He looked more demonic than like a dragon in that split second.

"We're waiting on some friends," Levy explained patiently. "Natsu Dragneel is a fire dragon slayer, first generation like Gajeel. Lucy Heartfilia's his partner, and she's a celestial mage. She has contracts with ten out of the twelve zodiac keys. And Lily - Pantherlily - is an Exceed from another parallel world of sorts. He's Gajeel's cat, but our friend, too."

"Exceed…?" Eberos encouraged her to continue, and his eyes gleamed eagerly at the news that there was another dragon slayer around.

"A cat that can talk and occasionally has wings," Levy continued, and then glanced over when Metalicana rumbled.

"You shouldn't tell a stranger your secrets, little one." His voice was firm, but gentle, a reminder that it was a bad idea.

Levy flushed in realization and ducked her head, then glared when Gajeel suddenly pinched her arm in a near painful way. He was studying the sky above them, eyes narrowed. "Salamander should be showin' up in Oak Town soon if he went all night. If they keep up that pace, should be back pretty soon, and then we can head out."

"Got it," she hummed, stretching her arms over her head. She paused to fix her hair, pulling her headband out for a moment. Her blue bangs fell into her face, and she puffed irritably so that they flew up into the air for a moment.

Eberos chuckled at her actions and then finished his meal, patting his stomach happily. The action pushed the cloak he wore despite the heat aside, revealing massive scars that seemed to criss cross every inch of his skin. Catching sight of Levy's curious gaze, the man grinned almost teasingly and said gently, "Want to know how I got 'em?"

Levy flushed again, embarrassed, and Gajeel looked ready to tear Eberos' throat out for being so friendly with her. "I'm sorry for staring," she said apologetically, and then admitted, "But I do want to know...they're rather large."

Eberos winked, and then suddenly tipped backwards so that he was looking up at the overly blue sky. "My father. The dragon I was raised by. He was not the most pleasant of creatures and simply raised a human child to see what would happen since he was banished from going near them. Each scar is for each time I failed to protect myself from the age of seven. He disappeared a long time ago, of course. Hope he's gone to hell, honestly. I could care less."

Something about the way he spoke, the eagerness of which he said his words and the glittering in his eyes told Levy that he truly didn't care. Gajeel had claimed to feel that way, but there had still been that glimmer of grief deep in his eyes.

This?

He truly hated the dragon that had raised him from childhood.

Not that Levy could blame him, from the looks of those scars. One was inches wide and ran along his arm, disappearing beneath the ragged shirt he wore.

Metalicana was watching him with care, red eyes curious yet wary. "And what was your father's name, human?"

Human.

Not the affectionate terms that he came up for the rest of them, like "brat" or "little one" or even - as he'd begun to call Natsu when they discussed his absence - "the fire bastard's brat", but "human". And he said it in a derogatory way, as if he _wanted_ to insult this stranger.

In other words, Metalicana disliked Eberos and wanted him gone.

Now suspicious and wary, Levy forced herself to keep up her friendly attitude, her fingers slipping to gently fan over the close Gajeel's, which were splayed out in the sand. Grunting to show that he felt her sudden nervousness, Gajeel sat up, nudging her just slightly with his shoulder. He rested his elbows on his folded knees as Eberos spoke.

"His name?" Eberos shrugged, not looking concerned as he answered. "Rhyszard. I've taught myself other sorts of magic, too, though, so that I'm prepared for many situations." He held out a hand, the smallest of lightning flickering across his fingertips. It was overcome with smoke a second later.

Metalicana accepted this answer, though something told Levy that he didn't believe him as he suddenly slid his head away and into his den. He remained there, not making a reappearance.

Deciding to check on his wounds later, she suddenly turned to Gajeel and studied the side of his face. He paused in eating to glance at her out of the corner of his eye, suspicious when she smiled.

"Can I-"

"No, shrimp."

She pouted. "But you didn't even let me finish!"

"You're gonna ask somethin' funny, so no," he retorted.

"I just want to brush your hair," she mumbled, frowning. It must have been tangled after riding Salutem all the way there, and she knew how hard it could be to brush out longer hair… He glared at her for the suggestion, but she only pouted. "Please?" she pleaded, "I promise I won't yank on it or anything…"

He sighed heavily and then figured it was better than her doing anything else, so he muttered, "Fine. You tug, you're done. Got me?"

"Got it," Lucy agreed with a huge grin. She rose to her feet. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go get my brush. I'll bring a headband back for you, too, if you want."

"Up to you, shrimp," he told her and she giggled excitedly before racing to get her brush. Gajeel watched her leave out of the corner of his eye and then focused on Eberos when he spoke, watching curiously.

"Is she your girlfriend or something?" Eberos asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Ain't none of your business," Gajeel snapped back, displeased with the man's presence. But Eberos took notice of his attitude and urged him to answer anyways, irritating Gajeel further. "Yes," he finally snapped. "Yeah, she's my girlfriend. Happy now?"

Maybe it'd help Gajeel keep the weird newcomer away from the solid-script mage?

"Not really." Eberos hummed as he leaned forward, looking a little disappointed. "She's a pretty woman, not one I would mind getting closer to, physically _or_ mentally…"

Gajeel clicked his jaws in irritation, gritting his teeth as Levy came back into view with a hum leaving her. She dropped to her knees without a word, kneeling behind Gajeel, and he subconsciously slouched so that she could reach his head. She began to lightly undo knots with her deft fingers, combing them through afterwards.

He would never admit it, but it felt nice. He liked how her fingers felt in his hair, gently running through the coarse dark strands and massaging his scalp for a moment. His eyes fluttered shut for the briefest of moments when she began to run the brush through it.

Peaceful and relaxed, it seemed like ages before he felt her touch shift to pull his hair back, her hands expertly tying the fabric that she used as a headband into his hair so that it kept it out of his face. He grunted in gratitude and then sat up when she was done.

"There," Levy said, looking pleased as she set the brush aside. Neither seemed to notice the calculating way that Eberos was watching them. He shrugged after a moment and closed his eyes, deciding to doze right then and there.

Levy was amazed he'd placed so much trust in them.

Gajeel thought he was just plain stupid.

And from where he was resting, Metalicana thought about outright eating someone for the first time in centuries.

* * *

Time flew by quickly, and it was nearly a full two days later that Gajeel lifted his head, nose twitching as he inhaled deeply and announced, "Salamander's back."

Levy lit up like a Christmas tree and threw herself forward, scrambling in the sand. "Lucy! Lily! Natsu!" she shouted as she caught sight of the approaching cloud of dust that Salutem kicked up. It was moments later that Salutem slowed, heaving for air, and Lucy leaped from his back to throw her arms around Levy.

"Levy! You're really okay!" she wheezed. "I was so worried-"

"With no reason," Levy laughed, hugging her tightly. Lucy gasped, and it was only then that she yanked back to stare at the exhausted blonde. "Oh, no," she breathed, realizing that Lucy was covered from head to toe in various bandages. Natsu came to stand beside her, Salutem's reins in hand with a deadly expression on his face as Lily went to speak with Gajeel, who'd followed close behind. "What…"

"Oak Town," Lucy told her with a sigh, "Was attacked. We don't know by what, but Natsu showed up just after it ended. I'm alright," she said hastily when Levy clapped a hand over her mouth, "And so is Kenai and his mother."

"Good," Levy sighed, pressing a hand over her heart.

"But Kenai's father was killed in the destruction," she murmured, breaking Levy's heart all over again. "He came back not too long after you left...he was crushed beneath rubble when we were trying to get to safety. Loke tried to help, but…"

Lucy was torn up about it, Levy could tell, and she gave her friend another hug.

"Who's that?" Natsu's gaze was furious as he noticed the curious looking man that stood off to the side, watching with cautious red eyes. His nose wrinkled. "He smells funny."

"That is Eberos," Levy said, waving at him. "He showed up after you and Lily left, Natsu...he wants to help us out in exchange for a sparring match with Gajeel after we're done. He doesn't seem so bad for now, but...Metalicana's keeping an eye on him."

"So you actually found the iron dragon?" Lucy looked excited. "Can I meet him?"

"You need to relax, Luce," Natsu scolded, "You're hurt."

"What he said, but if you promise to relax in the shade for the rest of the day and tomorrow, I'll see if Metalicana will pop up out of his hole to say hi." Levy propped her fisted hands on her hips and then looked over when a rather grumpy Gajeel called, "Oi! Shrimp! Whenever you're done talkin' the deer needs somethin' ta drink and some sleep. Looks like it's gonna collapse."

Natsu scowled, but told Lucy to go with Levy, pausing as he looked over his shoulder. "We'll need shelter, too. Another sand storm is blowing up."

"The buildings are pretty well insulated, Natsu," Levy told him and then grabbed Lucy gingerly by the wrist and tugged her to where Gajeel waited. When they got over, Gajeel patted her on the head with a toothy grin. "Hey, bunny girl. Ya did good."

"Thanks, I think?" Dark eyes flashed with gentle amusement as she returned the smile, wincing beneath the rough pats. But she didn't complain, only propped her hands on her hips like Levy had and asked, "Where's your father? Did he say anything about Igneel? I want to meet Natsu's father, too."

"Calm down," Levy laughed. "I don't think you'll get any luck with Igneel, but he's this way." She kept going forward, leading Lucy through the sand, and Gajeel stuck close to both women. Eberos slid behind them, following at a polite distance, recognizing that he was not well-liked by anyone.

"He's pissy today," Gajeel warned.

"That's towards you and Eberos. He's fine with me," Levy said with a shrug, and then snatched Lily out of the air when he went to drop on her head. He yelped as she crushed the air from him. "Lily! I missed you!"

He clawed at her arms to try and get away, wheezing. "I can't breathe, Levy!"  
Levy giggled at the Exceed, and then practically glowed with excitement when the sands shifted beneath her feet due to the sudden tremor in the ground as Metalicana shifted in his hoard and prepared to lift himself up to see what was going on. "Metalicana!" she called as she hurried forward. She held no fear as the massive iron head lifted itself from the pit to tower above them, a sound rumbling deep within his throat.

"Little one," he greeted gruffly after a moment, his breath rushing over them as he dropped his head to peer curiously at Lucy. "Your friends have returned...which one is this?"

Lucy flushed nervously and Gajeel grunted in exasperation. "He ain't gonna bite ya."

"No, not you. The brat perhaps," Metalicana mused grouchily. He snorted when Levy snickered. "You smell of the stars."

"I'm a celestial mage," Lucy explained. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia. It's an honor to meet the iron dragon, Metalicana. I've heard about you from the stories Gajeel's told on that rare drunken occasion."

He chuckled and studied her with a piercing red eye before deciding aloud, "I like her, little one. Keep this friend." He promptly dropped his head back out of sight and Levy clapped her hands together in excitement like a child.

Lucy looked fairly pleased as Natsu came scampering through the sand to join them, leaving only Eberos out. No one looked too concerned about it, however, as the fire mage inspected a scratch on Lucy's temple that was left unbandaged. "You need to rest now," he ordered, glaring when she protested.

"He's right, blondie," Gajeel agreed, rolling his crimson eyes with a scowl. Lily snickered under his breath from where he was held lightly in Levy's arms. "If ya wanna go with us, ya need to get better, and ya can't do that when you're runnin' around excited about the dragon."

"Right," Lucy huffed, shaking her head to clear it.

"I can get her settled into one of the buildings," Eberos offered as he sidled over, standing a foot or so away from the blonde with a friendly smile to her. She returned it hesitantly.

The look that crossed Natsu's face was one of utter disgust and rage. "Don't touch her," he spat, sliding between them. Lucy looked startled when he continued. "Come near Luce again, and I'll rip you to shreds. I don't give a damn about if you're trying to help or not. Got it?"

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped, but Eberos held his hands up with a look of understanding.

"Of course," he sighed, "I understand. Forgive me, Natsu-san, I'll keep my distance."

"Natsu," Lucy repeated, hitting him on the shoulder.

He didn't answer, but Levy frowned and exchanged a look with Gajeel. She still wasn't very comfortable around the strange dragon slayer, and that was just truth that she spoke, but usually Natsu was friendly towards people so long as they hadn't attacked his nakama.

But she'd try and give him a chance.

Even if Gajeel got fairly irritable about the idea.

"Here, I'll take her, Natsu," Levy offered, standing forward. "Why don't you men plan on what we should do when Lucy's up for traveling and we'll get things settled in. I'm assuming you'll want to be near Lucy, so I'll set up some extra space in there on the floor or something."

"Thanks, Levy," he said with a bright grin. "You know me so well."

"I've been around you since you joined the guild," she reminded. "Damn right I know you. Come on, Lucy." She slung an arm playfully around her friend's waist, nudging her forward with her hip.

Lucy smiled faintly and leaned against the small blue-haired woman, glancing over her shoulder with a sly smirk when she saw Gajeel watching them cautiously. He glared at the look on her face, and she gave a small shrug before turning her attention on Levy. "So how'd you meet this Eberos guy?" she asked softly, not wanting to be overheard.

"It was weird," Levy admitted. "Went to clean some clothes, ended up arguing with Gajeel about Metalicana. He left, and then came back telling me to get down. So I did, and then he grabbed me and dropped me into the oasis that we use for water, and...it was just strange."

"Interesting. I don't like him," Lucy admitted. "He's friendly, it seems, but there's something about him…"

Levy murmured her agreement. "I thought he was okay at first, but...we'll have to keep an eye on him until we can prove anything. I think Metalicana's going to try and insist on accompanying us to wherever we're going, so at least there's that."

"I'm grateful that there's a dragon that actually likes us going with," the blonde admitted with a sigh. "I don't know if I'd be able to handle the guy without him...I like Metalicana," she added.

"Metalicana's great," Levy agreed warmly. "Maybe he'd be willing to show you the things he has in his den there...he let Lily and I down there for a short time when a storm blew over, and it was lovely. You'd love all of the books."

Lucy's dark eyes glinted at the thought. "That sounds amazing," she responded.

Levy laughed. "It was," she admitted, and then glanced over her shoulder when Lily called her name. He dropped with practiced ease into Levy's arms. "What's up?" she asked, curious as she hugged him.

He grimaced at the tight squeeze and announced, "Gajeel doesn't want you two left alone and Natsu agreed. So I'll be with you whenever you're walking around."

"We don't mind you," Lucy promised with a kind smile, tucking her golden hair behind her ear. "At least you won't tell us to stop talking."

Levy scowled at the memory.

She and Lucy had dragged Natsu out with them to carry books when they'd gone shopping and the dragon slayer had moaned the entire time, complaining about everything from their nonstop talking to their ridiculous love for reading. Lucy had finished out the day by booting him from the store and threatening to throttle him if he came to her apartment for food later that night.

Levy giggled suddenly and teased, "At least he's worried about you. Maybe you'll get that date you've been wanting."

"Look who's talking," Lucy huffed back, flushing. "I don't think Gajeel slept a week when he was trying to figure out where you were. He even reached out to _us_ , I hope you know, with no encouragement."

Lily gave a playful little smirk and made his input. "He worries about you often, even if he doesn't admit it, Levy."

"Damn it, Lily, shush!" Levy wailed, flushing a scarlet red. She nudged Lucy with care, not daring to shove her when she was injured. Even if they were all in the same guild, Natsu would throw a tantrum, which would set Gajeel off, which would likely get Eberos excited, and she just didn't want to deal with that situation, because Levy was pretty damn sure both of the Fairy Tail mages would turn on him the second he tried anything.

Lily smirked again and Lucy only giggled, amused by her friend.

* * *

As the three settled Lucy into a building close to the one Levy and Lily had been staying in, Eberos watched from where he sat in the shade of another. He'd slipped off when Gajeel and Natsu weren't watching to study the women with sharp eyes, and a slight smirk played on his lips as he did so.

The blonde was hot, and that was putting it lightly. Her larger chest caught his attention almost immediately, along with the way that her warm brown eyes sparkled as she smiled and her soft supple skin. Even with the bandages, she was good looking. And, to top it all off, she possessed rare keys to accompany her equally as rare magic.

But the other one - Levy. She was...simply something that made his guts twist in eagerness. He grinned wildly as he watched the petite girl giggle at something that cat had said. Her hair spilled into her face, her headband askew from moving something, and she pushed it back impatiently with a dainty hand.

He licked his lips in silent thought. He liked the small people; they were fun to screw with. Their minds were so delicate...easy to break. Easy to mess up and it was a hell of a lot of fun watching them turn from a functioning person into someone who couldn't function at all for fear that they'd screwed up.

When he'd found them, he'd been excited.

A first generation dragon slayer to slaughter, an actual dragon, _and_ such a cute girl to toy with? And then two more interesting individuals had shown up, and it only got better!

But now, he was growing agitated.

And fast.

How the hell was he supposed to toy with the girls when the two dragon slayers kept such protective gazes over them? And that cat was a nuisance. He recognized the pink-haired one - Salamander of Fairy Tail was notorious for bashing up those who attacked his friends. Black Steel Gajeel - Kurogane - was even worse, not hesitating to kill if he thought the situation required it.

And even worse, the dragon. The dragon was hateful, just as protective as them.

He couldn't exactly get to either woman to start the process, and it was driving him crazy! It had looked so easy when he'd seen the blue-haired girl alone in her home, sleeping peacefully with the cat curled up against her.

But now...he couldn't even figure out where to begin.

But being a crafty person was good, and he was creative when it came to certain things.

He would take his time, he decided. Patience was important for things like this.

So Eberos sat back and closed his eyes to nap, a smug smirk curving across his face as he did so.

He'd deal with it. He was the dragon slayer of chaos, after all.

* * *

 _So...I'm exceptionally sorry for making all of you wait this long. I decided to write out the rest of Oculto before updating it again, and even now I'm not done. But I am writing the last chapter, so! I wouldn't expect any more lacks of updates! Sorry, guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

 _Thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter (Azar333, metalican overlord slayer, AfterWriter, Delione, sassykitten1701, Typhlosion8, NaLu and InuKag, and Naluislove4!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	12. A Deal With Chaos

**. Oculto .**

* * *

"Is everything set?" Levy stroked Salutem's nose as she spoke, her fingers running gently over his soft face as his massive antlers went far too close to her face for Gajeel's liking. He glared at her and the deer before giving a curt nod, making sure the last of their possessions were strapped onto the large animal.

"Yeah," he muttered, stepping back. "Everything's good. Managed to get the strap strong enough so that it should hold. Damn, this is gonna suck…"

Due to the amount of people that were going, they'd decided on something simple.

The girls would be allowed to sit atop of Metalicana himself alongside Lily, and the three males that were accompanying them - Gajeel was tempted to make it so that Eberos couldn't go - would ride in an iron sled of sorts that Gajeel had made with Natsu's help. The three of them weren't exactly pleased, but at least it'd allow the Fairy Tail mages to keep an eye on Eberos.

Natsu had been all for abandoning him to the desert, surprisingly brutal about the matter while he and Gajeel had been busy building the sled. But Lucy had scolded him and ordered that he be at least decent towards the other man.

That had been _before_ he'd shown up behind her, breathing on her shoulder as he asked what they were talking about. She'd turned around and struck him across the cheek by accident in her panic, and now avoided Eberos as much as possible, glaring at him often times as she stood beside Levy. Now the blonde was grabbing the horse that Natsu had used, looking excited by the sight of it and telling him that it looked like a horse from the stories that her mother had told her as a child.

Salutem whistled out a sharp breath, snotting all over Levy's arm on purpose, and she made a sound of disgust that Lily - who sat between the antlers on the deer's head - laughed at.

Gajeel ruffled her wild blue hair. "Got that thing up on the old man's back so you don't have to worry about cutting yourself trying to hold onto the plating. He complained, but don't listen to him. It didn't hurt."

After learning that Levy had cut herself on Metalicana's metallic plating, Gajeel had insisted that he be allowed to create something that would allow them to hold onto him without hurting themselves. The dragon had reluctantly agreed, and it had resulted in an awkward bar that had been nailed into the plates. Levy had fretted about it hurting Metalicana, but the amused iron dragon had simply lowered his head to blow warm air over her and said, "You worry too much, shrimp."

Levy had flushed in response and complained about stupid iron dragons and their children.

Gajeel ruffled her hair a final time, his fingers running gently through the strands to the point that she leaned into the touch. Then he ripped away and bustled off to see what was taking Natsu and Lucy so long to tie the horse to the sled. Levy smiled to herself, and then glanced down when Lily chuckled. "What?"

Lily's tail twitched, his eyes amused. "Nothing."

"Uh-huh," she said sarcastically.

"I do believe that the cat finds your relationship with the iron dragon slayer amusing." Levy tried not to flinch when Eberos spoke, seeming to appear beside her. His red eyes glinted excitedly, as if he was looking forward to something. Levy guessed that he was excited to be actually going somewhere or doing something other than sitting around waiting for Lucy's wounds to heal as they'd been doing for a while now.

Levy gave Eberos a tight smile and hugged Lily, who didn't say anything as he stared at Eberos without blinking. "And what relationship do you think that is?" she asked lightly.

"A close one." Red eyes glinted with amusement, and Levy tilted her head back to look at him when he leaned a slight bit closer, earning a growl on Lily's part. "A fairly close one, actually."

Warm air suddenly rustled their clothing, and Eberos glanced up to see a rather grumpy dragon glaring down at him with piercing red eyes. He took a step back, and Metalicana growled, dipping his head to suddenly snag Levy by the back of her clothes, lifting her. Levy squawked, nearly dropping Lily, who hooked his claws in her shirt in shock.

"Better airborne," Metalicana snarled under his breath, voice not even muffled by the grip he had on her. "Then with him."

"Put me down!" Levy shrieked.

"Certainly."

Levy screeched as she plummeted - straight into arms that were thrown out in a panic, narrowly grabbing her before she hit the ground. Gajeel scowled furiously up at the guffawing dragon as Levy wheezed for air, her fingers gripping his shirt so tightly her knuckles were white. "Stop doing that!" he demanded, making Metalicana snicker even more.

Metalicana looked down at them with a look that Levy couldn't figure out, and then suddenly muttered as he lowered his head, "I did not like the little one so close to the other one."

Lily, still held in Levy's arms, lashed his tail, hissing furiously, "You could have warned us!"

"Sorry, Lily," Levy groaned, releasing him, and he glowered up at the dragon before sitting himself comfortably on Gajeel's shoulder. Gajeel glared up at Metalicana for a few seconds more, and then gently put Levy on her feet. She gratefully patted his shoulder, wincing. "Thanks for catching me, but I'm going to have bruises."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Whiner," he muttered, patting her head with his signature "Gihi!" "C'mon, ya need to get onto the old iron bastard's back. Lily?"

"I've got her," he promised, wings appearing at his back as he hopped from Gajeel's shoulder to grab her by the back of her clothes. Gajeel watched as Lily lifted the unprotesting solid-script mage up onto Metalicana, and then turned away, only to be stopped when Metalicana made a rumbling sound. "What?"

"Watch him," Metalicana sneered under his breath so that only his son - and possibly the small woman on his back - could hear. Gajeel glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "There is something unnatural about the magic he used. It's ain't his natural magic."

"We weren't trustin' him to begin with," Gajeel huffed back. "Watch shrimp and the bunny girl, got it? Ya let one of 'em get hurt and I'll kill ya."

"I'm very aware," the massive dragon drawled. Lily returned after that, and Gajeel told him to go and get Lucy, to take her up as well so that Levy wouldn't be alone for much longer. He itched to get up there with them and sit on his father's back like he'd done as a child - not that he'd admit it.

He'd never admit how nice it was to have the iron dragon around again.

 _Never_.

Because that meant admitting that he'd forgiven Metalicana for so kindly abandoning him to the dark life he'd led after he'd left. And that was just something Gajeel couldn't bring himself to forgive the dragon - any of the dragons, honestly - for.

Once Lucy was on the dragon's back, Natsu trotted over to stand beside Gajeel, onyx eyes unreadable. "Do you think we'll go back?" he said after a moment, voice surprisingly without emotion. "I feel like something really, _really_ bad is about to happen, Gajeel."

Gajeel was a little startled by the seriousness of which _Natsu Dragneel_ of all people spoke. Rarely did the fire mage use such a voice. Rarely did he look Gajeel straight in the eye and call him something other than iron freak or metal head. The fact that his insanely sharp instincts were catching onto something made Gajeel narrow his eyes suspiciously.

"We'll be fine," he decided to grumble, narrowing his eyes. His crimson eyes studied the iron dragon above them as he turned his head to make sure the three that rested there were alright. "We've got a goddamn dragon and two dragon slayers. And my cat."

"Lucy can hold up pretty well," he agreed. "Levy, too."

Gajeel thought of Levy for a moment and then agreed, her image branded on the back of his eyelids. "Yeah," he grunted, turning away. "Levy, too."

* * *

"This is great, but seriously...the metal's burning me," Lucy grumbled with a grimace on her pretty face.

The traveling had begun not too long before. Distantly on the ground, like little ants, they could see the miserable dragon slayers dealing with the sled as Salutem galloped across the sands, making happy cries every now and then, swinging his antlers. Metalicana would take a slow step every now and then, shaking the ground beneath him, and was somewhat careful when it came to not squashing the men.

Not really. He liked to get close and scare the hell out of Natsu.

" That's what you get for wearing short skirts," Levy giggled, waving to the capris she'd put on earlier in the morning. Careful to make sure that Metalicana had just finished a step, she reached into the pack she'd been given and pulled out a blanket. Between the two of them, they'd managed to arrange it so that they could sit on it, the hot sun blazing down on them.

"I look like a lobster," Levy declared much to Lucy's amusement. She looked at her red arms and made a face. It was going to hurt later - and badly. "I can't even use my magic to give us shade; I need it just in case something happens."

"You mean in case Eberos tries something," Lucy interrupted. "I hate him. I want him to leave. He came to visit when Natsu was off doing stuff last night and just...he was acting odd. Saying odd things."

"Like what?" Levy questioned, narrowing her hazel eyes. "Did you tell Natsu?"

"Or Gajeel?" the tired Lily added. He was curled up in Levy's lap, slitted eyes watching them with care. "Gajeel would want to know, too."

"No," Lucy admitted. "I didn't tell either of them. He was just...it made me doubt myself, that's all. I'm going to ignore it, of course, but he questioned how strong I was. If my Spirits' contracts were locked for good, if they could get out of it if they wanted to go elsewhere...if Natsu and I were determined to remain partners for the rest of our lives and what would happen if he found someone he wanted to marry, that kind of thing. It almost made me think that he thought that I wasn't strong enough to keep everyone's interest. Like my Spirits were going to leave and that Natsu was thinking about going elsewhere, you know? Loke popped up on his own after he'd left, and knocked me around on the head a few times, scolding me, but…"

Levy couldn't help but smile wryly at the mention of Loke. Only he would strike a girl to make sure she knew that no one was going anywhere. On a normal day, he was quite gentle when it came to women. But on occasion, he could be rude. It was hilarious. "Don't listen to Eberos," Levy told her firmly. "Natsu would kill you for even thinking that he's going anywhere. Have you seen the way he's been hanging around you?"

Lucy's lips curved into a shy smile. "I guess...you're right. Sorry."

"That's what I thought," Levy told her, and then glanced down to check on their friends. She frowned, seeing only a massive metallic shoulder and a wing tucked up, and then crawled carefully over. Lily dug his claws in, ready to pull her back up. But she balanced with ease and smiled down at the dragon slayers below.

The boys would make sure nothing happened.

And the women themselves weren't exactly people to be messed with either.

If Eberos tried anything, he'd be killed on the spot. Especially with Metalicana around.

A glowing red eye slid into her vision, Metalicana's massive head swinging around to look at her. "What are you doing, little one?" he rumbled.

"Checking," she giggled. "Sorry. I'll get back to Lucy now."

"Gihi!" the dragon snickered, and it made Levy want to laugh.

Gajeel had certainly learned his weird laughter from his father.

As Metalicana's head turned back to face the direction they were heading, Levy returned to her place beside Lucy, who looked questioningly at her. "He was checking on us," Levy explained, reassuringly smiling.

Lily huffed. "More likely making sure you weren't going to fall off. Or contemplating throwing you back down."

"Probably the second option," Levy admitted.

There was a second of peaceful silence.

And then Metalicana suddenly stumbled, massive body jerking roughly beneath them as something slammed into his head. He roared, the sound drawing blood from their ears. His leg collapsed beneath his heavy weight and they screamed as their hands were ripped from the safe hold that had been made for them. Lily was ripped from Levy's shoulder, tumbling through the air with a shriek of surprise, and Lucy went sliding past Levy, who barely managed to catch the bar again.

"Lucy!" Levy screamed as Lucy slid over the side of the dragon. She tumbled into empty air with a cry, blonde hair streaming around her face. Levy felt the air rush past her, hands sliding on the metal that she struggled to keep a grip. Metalicana roared again as he hit the ground, snarling furiously in pain.

The momentum jarred her and Levy cried out, struggling to catch at the bar when she slipped. Her limbs trembled, hazel eyes frantically searching for a way out of the situation. But there wasn't one; what could a human do when a dragon couldn't get upright or reach her to make sure she was alright as Metalicana was struggling so hard to do?!

She heard her name shouted somewhere far below her and barely managed to catch the bar again. She dangled by two hands, heart pounding in her chest, and pulled herself up with burning arms. The metal burned her, but she ignored it, gasping for air with her legs and hips dangling.

Metalicana snarled again, not daring to move, as if he could sense that Levy was still stuck. Levy spared a glance down to check on what had happened and was relieved to see that a flash of gold was running around with a blob of pink following her. Someone must have caught Lucy, she thought.

She hoped Lily was alright.

There was a moment of silence before Metalicana rumbled something, shifting. Levy gasped, grip tightening. She could hear shouting beneath her, telling him not to move yet, and he finally went still.

It felt like forever before Lily flew up, cradling a paw delicately against his furry self. "Gajeel's going to climb up," he said seriously. "I hurt my paw grabbing Lucy. Don't fall. Eberos is already waiting if you do. We'd all prefer if you could hold on until Gajeel gets up here."

"Right," Levy gasped. Her muscles burned with the effort of keeping herself there. "What happened?"

"Something attacked Metalicana, we think it might have been a creature that dwells in the sand. It's hanging around, waiting, and we're worried it'll attack. Hang on, Gajeel's going to get up here as soon as he can."

"Was it what attacked him before?" she murmured.

"No, maybe. We don't know, and neither does he."

"Right." Levy took a deep breath, and then gasped in terror when her hands slipped. She scrabbled at the metal, ignoring the searing pain of hot iron against her fingertips. Lily growled, worried but unable to do anything as the bar suddenly shifted. Levy's gaze darted over.

Gajeel's hard work had been ruined by the amount of force. The force of the dragon hitting the ground had ripped the iron he'd used to nail it into the dragon's hide free and it now dangled, the other iron coming loose. It wavered as she tried to right herself.

Her heart dropped - as did her stomach. She could feel it falling, hearing it screeching as it parted. "Lily," she gasped in panic, scrabbling when it dropped several feet and nearly sent her straight towards the ground.

The cat dove over, snagging his claws in her shirt and trying to keep her there. But it did nothing, and Levy gave a cry when it jerked downwards again.

"Shrimp!" she suddenly heard. Her blue-haired head snapped around to look down at the not-so-distant mage. Gajeel had let his arm become a pick axe, his spiked boots digging into Metalicana's iron hide. The dragon didn't seem to mind, instead trying to twist his head back to make sure that they were getting her safely off. His crimson eyes were sharp with concern, black hair wild yet still held back by the headband she'd given him.

"I'm okay," she lied faintly. She watched as he picked his way further up, edging as close as he could. It jerked again and she screeched when she found herself barely holding on. "Lied! Not okay, not okay!"

Gajeel scrambled closer, and Metalicana snarled in pain when his pick axe dug in a little too deep, shuddering in pain.

The movement did the trick.

Levy screamed as the metal gave way and she dropped like a stone. Lily snapped his wings out to slow their descent and she screwed her eyes shut in fear - only to be snagged out of the air with a ripping sound. She gasped, eyes snapping open. It took her a moment to realize that something sharp had snapped through her shirt.

"Got ya," Gajeel rasped from behind her. She was carefully pulled towards him until a solid arm had wrapped around her, carefully tightening around her waist. Levy wrapped her arms around Gajeel's neck with a groan of relief, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Her breath came in panicked gasps. "You good, shorty?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "Lily?"

"We're good, Gajeel," the cat reassured. "Get her down from here." He dropped, wings snapping out and Levy tightened her grip on Gajeel when she looked down.

She'd never had anything against heights until that moment. She just wanted to feel solid ground beneath her. Solid ground that wouldn't give out and send her to her death if she stepped wrong. She tightened her grip around Gajeel, and he snorted softly as he began to carefully clamber down.

"Thanks," she mumbled, "For helping me. Again."

He grunted. "I ain't ever letting you choose a job by yourself again."

"Please don't," she squeaked. He made a sound deep in his chest that seemed to comfort her, and he rolled his eyes, mumbling about just how needy Levy was. When they got to the ground, he slammed a fist against Metalicana's hide.

"You can get up now, you ugly scrap metal!"

Metalicana snapped his jaws irritably and hauled his massive body upright. "Is the little one alright?" his booming voice demanded. "And the golden one."

Levy gave a wry smile at his choice of name for Lucy. "We're fine," she called up to him. A split second later, she was tackled in a tight hug, knocked into the sands by her blonde friend. "Lucy!" she laughed, "I'm fine!"

"I saw you hanging up there," Lucy sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks, "And thought you were going to be killed!" Natsu watched with careful onyx eyes and Eberos looked just plain confused as he studied the iron dragon.

"I don't get it," he said after a moment, throwing his hands up. "I mean, yeah, I did the first one, but what the hell is doing _this_?"

They all turned to stare at him, confused, and Metalicana's head snapped around, jaws clicking. Eberos shrugged, snickering under his breath. "What, ya think a dragon slayer can't hurt a dragon if they don't want to? You guys _suck_. I was trying to get some fun for the first time in ages - oh, except for those treasure hunters last week, they were a pain in my ass. Pretty blood though."

Gajeel began to growl, crimson eyes vicious, and Natsu's flames flickered up and down his toned arms.

Eberos was unconcerned, instead curious about what had attacked the iron dragon when no one was looking. He shoved a hand through his thick black hair. "I attacked the first time, knocked him out of the sky, but I didn't make him bleed, and I didn't do this. I don't get it."

"...wait." Lucy and Levy climbed to their feet, and Lucy stared at the dragon slayer over Natsu's shoulder. She wasn't even concerned as the flames licked at her chin, and Natsu glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, onyx eyes thoughtful. "You knocked Metalicana out of the sky?"

"What can I say?" Eberos flashed her a mocking smile. "I have a thing for screwing with people." He tapped his chin. "But I didn't do the bloody thing. As much as I'd like to see a dragon's blood, I don't generally screw with the physical appearance of a dragon. I tried once and nearly lost my head. And I didn't do what happened just now. You saw me; I was sitting there quietly."

"...I really, really don't like you," Lucy told him, and Natsu muttered his agreement.

This earned a grin from Eberos. "It's fun to play with little girls." He flashed a predatory look at Levy and the murderous look on Gajeel's face made him grin wider. "Don't get me wrong, I like the occasional killing spree, but...this wasn't me. Oh, stop your goddamn snarling, Redfox, I'm not gonna touch your little girlfriend yet. I want to figure this out first."

Levy stared at him without much surprise; she'd expected something of the sort - all of them had. But none of them had expected it to be revealed this early. Levy had expected that he'd show his true colors later on.

Metalicana looked ready to just eat him. Suddenly, he grunted, a malicious look entering his gaze. "I know who you are," he said suddenly and Gajeel's eyes went wide before he grabbed Levy by the back of her shirt and dragged her back. Natsu followed suit, remaining protectively in front of his partner as Metalicana unleashed a roar that made their ears bleed. Lily nervously watched from above, wings fluttering.

Eberos merely stared boredly up at him, arching a brow. "Are we really gonna do this now, old man? My father taught me fifty three ways to kill a dragon, probably more. You see, there's this nice little spot beneath your armor about fifty yards away-"

Metalicana's jaws snapped furiously. "Stay away from my brats," he seethed, shifting. He stepped slowly around Eberos so that he stood over the four Fairy Tail mages.

"Uh, no." Eberos gave a vicious grin. "I'm not done playing with them just yet, but I'll let you in on a little secret. I fully intend to enjoy them to the fullest."

"Metalicana," Levy demanded, "Who is he? What are you-"

"Eberos is not the son of Rhyszard," Metalicana snarled. "He is the dragon slayer of chaos."

"... _Acnologia_ ," Natsu whispered, horrified. "He trained a human, too?!"

"Not quite as lovingly," Eberos hummed, twirling black magic around his fingertips. "You see, he hates humans with a passion, particularly those of the blondie's bloodline. But he thought it'd be funny to train someone who hated them just as much. So here I am."

Gajeel's eyes flickered with hatred. "Get lost."

"...no." Eberos studied them without an ounce of fear in his body, even as Metalicana rumbled. "I wasn't kidding. I won't fuck with you until I've figured out what's going on with this dragon killer, because I really do want to know. Might be able to learn from it. So you can either accept my help, or…" He bared his teeth in a grin. "Hey, Lucy, remember what I told you this morning? Definitely proved my point when you couldn't save yourself, didn't it."

Natsu looked murderous, ready to outright tear him apart when Lucy flinched, but Levy suddenly shoved past Gajeel and planted her hands on her hips. "Let's make a deal. If you make any move towards us, we'll set our dragons on you. If you leave us alone, we'll let you help."

His eyes ran down her slim body with an eager look, lingering on her breasts and hips.

"...deal."

* * *

 _So this is my love OC Eberos' true personality. I'll sum him up in three words: murderous and insane. I love him. Which is kind of concerning. Onto the next chapter! Which you'll get next Sunday. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, MaDxHatteRxGirL, silverGhostKitsune, Kmmcm, and AfterWriter!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	13. Occupied Caverns

**. Oculto .**

* * *

They walked after that. Natsu walked with his head close to Lucy's, worried about her, and Lily flew above them all, seeing what was ahead. Gajeel kept close to Eberos, watching him with fiercely angry eyes, and Levy fell into step beneath Metalicana of all places, taking advantage of the shade that his massive body offered. He didn't seem to mind, glowing eyes simply full of amusement.

Levy was fond of the dragon. She wished that they didn't have to leave him at some point, possibly to never see him again. She wanted to make it so that they could see him whenever they wanted, but…

Something told her that just wasn't meant to be.

His massive lumbering steps that shook the ground each time he moved comforted her, and the petite mage hummed to herself for a while. She kicked sand, did _anything_ to pass the time as they walked.

After a short while, she was relieved to find Gajeel stalking over to join her, Natsu having decided to take a turn in watching over Eberos. He ducked into the shade with a brief look of happiness that disappeared almost immediately. "Oi, shorty," he grunted, falling into step beside her. "Doing okay?"

"Yes," Levy confirmed. "Thank you for your concern, Gajeel." She flashed him a slight smile, pushing her messy hair out of her face. She was quiet for a few moments, the only sound in their ears that of Metalicana's heavy huffing breath that showed his annoyance with how long it was taking them to get to where he'd been attacked.

Suddenly, she spoke again. "I can't believe I'm a mage of Fairy Tail" Her lips trembled at the words she spoke, her voice shaking. But she believed what she was saying wholeheartedly when she admitted, "I shouldn't have been nominated for S-Class so long ago...I can't even take a simple job on my own." She shook her head in irritation.

He shot her a look that was nearly as deadly as the looks he'd sent Eberos. "You talkin' bad about yourself again, woman?"

Levy shrugged. "It's the truth," she muttered. She took a deep breath. "I'm not talking down about myself, Gajeel, I'm admitting my faults. There's a difference, you know? It's one thing to call myself weak. It's another to admit that while I'm not entirely weak, I can't take jobs alone."

He contemplated this for a second, and then shook his head, dark hair - already messy from the earlier adventure - nearly smacking her in the face. "Crazy woman," was all he said, ruffling her blue locks. She beamed up at him, searching his crimson gaze for a moment and smiling widely at the gentleness that only she saw in the fierce iron mage. "If ya need the money, I'll take ya on a job when we get back."

"I might just have to take you up on that," was her response before she finally looked away, instead glaring when she caught sight of a glowing red eye watching them. "Mind your own business, Metalicana!"

Metalicana snickered, simply lifting his head again and saying with a smug tone, "We're here."

The smiles faded from all faces. Gajeel and Levy broke into a jog to stand beneath Metalicana's chest rather than his stomach, studying the sandy area before them. Lily soared down to rest himself in Levy's arms, and she narrowed her gaze as she studied the mountain that seemed to jut out of the earth. It was large, towering above even Metalicana, and she realized that they hadn't even seen it until they were right in front of it.

"Magic?" she contemplated, narrowing her eyes as she looked up. "Maybe some kind of ward, or a rune like Freed's?"

"Possibly," Lucy agreed, her dark eyes searching the mountainside.

"What do you do here?" Levy asked the iron dragon, calling the question up to him, but he'd suddenly begun to lumber forward. He lowered his head to nose around, sniffing intently for a few minutes before he suddenly lunged forward, tongue lolling out of the side of his large metallic head. He buried his head into the rocks that littered the sandy earth, grumbling and tail twitching this way and that.

Suddenly, he pulled back. A large lizard was held in his jaws and the Fairy Tail mages stared at the size of it in surprise as he began to tilt his head back, devouring it with ease. Eberos didn't seem impressed.

"Couldn't have been one of those," the dragon slayer drawled lazily. He narrowed his eyes at the iron dragon. "If you can eat them, they can't kill you."

Gajeel grunted in disapproval at his words and exchanged a silent grin with Natsu, surprisingly pleasant towards the fire mage for once. Levy guessed it was the common hatred between them that was directed at the newfound enemy. "Say that to the dragons we defeated back in Crocus," Natsu snickered. "We kicked their asses and they could have eaten us in one bite."

"Less than a bite," Metalicana muttered, and then continued forward. "It is where I come for my iron." He indicated a massive hole in the side of the mountain that was a frightening pitch black. Natsu, not one to be scared of the dark, eagerly made his way over to it, dragging a protesting Lucy along as he lit his arm on fire.

"Natsu!" she hissed, and feeling bad, Levy released Lily and jogged after her blonde friend. Gajeel trailed after them with a roll of his eyes.

When they reached the entrance, Natsu swished some fire in his mouth and then spat it so that it went soaring into the cavern. The four watched curiously as it streaked through, blinding them with the amount of metal, gems, and more that reflected the light.

And then it struck something that shifted upon being attacked, a grumbling sound leaving them.

Levy immediately grabbed Lucy's hand, eyes flying wide as Natsu prepared to do it again, even as the blonde pleaded for him to not. Ignoring her, he spat another fireball.

This time, they were greeted by a roar, amplified by the narrow cavern. Levy dropped Lucy's hand to slam her hands over ears, cringing in pain, and Natsu dropped with a shout of surprise, his sensitive ears catching it even more than theirs did.

Gajeel was the only one who instinctively readied himself for a fight, even as Metalicana's head snapped around. The iron dragon's red eyes filled with rage at the realization that something else was in _his_ territory, and he immediately stormed over as quickly as he could, retaliating with a roar.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Salamander?!" Gajeel bellowed as Metalicana's roar echoed around them. "Why would you try to piss it off?"

"I don't know," he snapped back, "Because I can?"

"You're an idiot," Lucy wailed.

"We should move," Levy decided, and then turned and sprinted over to where Lily was hovering near Eberos, watching over him for the rest of them. His ears were flat against his head, not looking excited by the loud sounds that were thrown by the dragon and whatever else was in the hole.

Eberos' sparkling ruby eyes were full of delight. "That's another dragon."

"And how the fuck do you know that?" Gajeel bit out, grabbing Levy by the back of her shirt and depositing her beside him. She shot him a look, but he didn't seem to notice, glaring at Eberos and resting his elbow on her head. She gave up and let him, eyes darting between Eberos and the dragon that was snarling into his iron deposit.

A second later, fire exploded out of the cavern, licking at Metaliana, who bellowed furiously.

"...oh, my god," Lucy breathed, her face suddenly filling with excitement She shook free of Natsu's tight grip and bolted back towards the cave. Natsu shouted her name, demanding she come back with fear for her wellbeing in his voice. But she ignored him, and scampered between Metalicana's legs, shouting at him to stop being so mean.

The iron dragon looked shocked that he'd been told to shut up.

Lucy stood at the entrance, flushed from the heat that came from within combined with the heat outside and then called into it, "Igneel?"

Silence met her answer. Natsu tensed in shock at the name, a strange expression crossing his face, shock, excitement, and just a little bit of anger flickering there before settling on worry for Lucy.

Metalicana lowered his head so that his eye was level with the blonde, staring harshly at her and then into his cavern. The plates on his back clinked as they rose and fell in his anger. Suddenly, Lucy jogged further into the cave, disappearing into the darkness, and that was enough for Natsu to throw himself after her, shouting for her to get her ass back to safety. Metalicana blocked him from entering, clicking his jaws warningly.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted. "Get back here!"

Her voice was faint as she called back, "I'm fine!"

"No you're not, get out here!"

Levy licked her lips and exchanged a look with the iron dragon slayer beside her. He gave her a look that promised violence should she try to follow her friend into the cave.

A growl echoed from the cave suddenly, a snapping of jaws, and then Lucy's voice snapping right back, "Oh, shut up. You're Igneel, aren't you? Natsu's father? Come on, answer me!"

"She's just determined to die," Gajeel said, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Lucy!" Natsu tried again. "C'mon! Please!" He looked anxious, wanting his partner back beside him. His nose wrinkled, and Levy finally just yanked away to join him beside Metalicana. Gajeel made a sound of frustration and followed, leaving Lily alone with Eberos again.

Levy glanced to Natsu, whose face was twisted with horror. "What's wrong?" she demanded, "Why do you look like that? Is she okay?"

"Place reeks of blood now," Gajeel told her, wrinkling his own nose in disgust. "It ain't blondie's, though."

The fear that had filled her disappeared. She watched the darkness as flames suddenly lit up, and Lucy swore before jogging back out, a mass of flaming fury hot on her heels. She sprinted past them with a cried, "It worked!" and fled to hide behind Metalicana as he began to shift backwards, rearing his head back with jaws parted, ready to defend the mages. Natsu didn't move, even as the rest of them did, instead standing at the entrance without an ounce of fear.

The dragon suddenly rose from the cavern, flames swirling around its scales, and it parted its jaws to bellow out a roar that was deeper and more guttural than Metalicana's. Red scales glinted in the sun, and sharp eyes suddenly snapped down to the delighted pink-haired man.

"Igneel!" he shouted, overjoyed.

Igneel actually seemed to pause for a second, taking in the sight of a beaming Natsu. And then his rageful gaze turned on Metalicana, who had lost interest in defending his territory upon confirming that what Lucy had claimed was true.

The iron dragon yawned, tongue falling out to rest in an almost silly expression at the side of his mouth as he mused, "You're the one in my territory."

Igneel growled wordlessly before snapping furiously, "They were not supposed to be able to find you, Metalicana."

He didn't seem too concerned. "Was either I stay in hiding or my brat's little girly died. Wasn't about to let that happen. I like her."

Levy felt a flash of happiness snap through her and Gajeel snickered, looking a little proud of himself as he studied the fire dragon. Igneel rumbled another growl, annoyed, and then finally drew himself out of the cave entirely. He ignored Natsu, whose smile began to fade, replaced by a hurt expression when his father didn't acknowledge him.

Lucy slid around Metalicana to stand beside him, comfortingly touching his arm. He glanced at her and then leaned into her side, pressing his lips together.

Levy frowned, feeling bad for the fire mage. He'd spent years upon years looking for the fire dragon, his father, and when he'd finally found him, Igneel wanted nothing to do with him. The sympathy vanished, however, when something far more troubling was revealed.

Igneel stood proudly before them, red scales slicked with his own blood, which poured and dripped from a large wound in his belly. Whatever had created it had pierced the heavy and protective plating that was meant to defend his vulnerable underside and had left a nasty wound that had even the powerful Igneel trembling, trying his hardest to remain upright.

Levy's lips parted in shock. "Oh," she breathed.

"What the _fuck_?" Gajeel hissed, immediately confused. This was the second time that a dragon had been injured in such a way, and it was concerning to all of them that knew exactly how powerful a dragon truly was.

Metalicana's red eyes flashed. "Caught ya, too, huh?" he snickered.

Igneel flashed his teeth irritably. "Shut up."

"What attacked you?" Natsu demanded, looking worried, but Igneel ignored him again and instead turned his attention on the pair that had stuck close to Metalicana. Levy raised her chin as his eyes scanned them from head to toe. Gajeel merely glared defiantly.

And then Igneel grunted. "The girl found you first? Tch. You didn't train Gajeel very well, now did you?"

Gajeel snarled angrily, but Metalicana cut him off with a snippish, "And your brat is running around throwing fire into random caves! Look who's talking!"

Igneel merely sniffed, a look of pride crossing his face. "At least my son knows better than to try and start a fight with something that is stronger than him."

"My brat kicked a dragon's ass, thank you very much!"

"Mine beat two!"

"You're both badass dragons, now can you shut up please?" Levy moaned, reminded of the bickering arguments that their children had. She buried her face in her hands, and then gave up on any sort of civil conversation between the pair and instead went to fetch Lily. Gajeel kept an eye on her, aware that Eberos was there, watching with amusement.

"Why must dragons be so annoying?" Lily muttered into her ear as he dropped into her arms. She hugged him and then headed back over to where Gajeel was standing. Eberos trailed silently after her, eyes sweeping her form with a smirk. The action earned him a piercing glare over her head.

But he didn't seem to notice, simply cackling under his breath.

Natsu scowled, and then, suddenly, he opened his mouth and bellowed out a blast of flames at Igneel's face. It struck the dragon in the snout and he snarled, finally turning his attention entirely on Natsu for just a brief moment before looking elsewhere again.

Natsu puffed up in anger, glaring up at him. "Why won't you look at me?" he demanded, voice cracking. "I found you after you disappeared for so long, and you won't even look at me! I've been looking and _looking_!" Tears rose and threatened to fall as he shouted, "What _right_ do you have to ignore me?!"

Igneel glanced towards him, studying his son for a few moments. And then he lowered his large head so that his breath washed over the upset Natsu and murmured, "You have grown since I last saw you. I've watched over you, and I am proud of what you have accomplished."

Natsu studied the dragon for a moment, and then gave a huge teary grin, his voice trembling as he retorted, "Stalker."

Lucy giggled, and then flushed when Igneel's attention turned on her. "And this is your partner, eh?" He snorted. "Trust you to choose a blonde."

Natsu slung an arm proudly around Lucy's shoulders when she scowled, and then beamed at her. "Luce is great! Don't know what I'd do without her!"

Gajeel interrupted irritably. "So what the hell happened? Who attacked a goddamn dragon?"

"Language," Levy huffed.

"Interesting that it caught two dragons unprepared, technically the iron dragon twice," Eberos purred, looking pleased by this information. Igneel's furious gaze turned on him. Eberos didn't seem to notice as he tilted his head fractionally. "Where did it attack you is perhaps the better question. Metalicana claims that it was here."

Levy wasn't all too fond of Eberos, but she agreed with his question. It was a good one. The man was cruel and not exactly the nicest person in the world, but she'd give him credit for being smart.

Igneel studied Eberos hatefully before he raised his head proudly. "I taught you to choose comrades better than this one, Natsu."

Natsu shrugged. "We didn't exactly choose him, he kinda just shoved himself and said he wouldn't do anything if we let him help us."

The dragon grunted, and then glanced at the blood that dripped from his wound. "Two miles south."

"Where it smacked you in the face," Gajeel told Metalicana with a thoughtful expression. He'd crossed his arms, the piercings on his arms glinting in the sunlight and casting strange lights on the sand before them. Levy was amused by the strange tan lines that decorated his skin. When she thoughtfully glanced at her own arms, they were red, burned to hell and back like she'd touched the sun.

She grimaced as she looked at Lily's dark fur. The poor Exceed must have been burning up.

"I know what it did, Gajeel," Metalicana rumbled, clicking his jaws together irritably. Gajeel snickered at the attitude of his father, and then spoke up again.

"I say you giant bastards stay here and let us go and investigate," he said firmly. "Salamander and I can handle it."

"We're here, too," Levy reminded sharply, refusing to let him think that she and Lucy would wait with the dragons. Her hazel eyes were fierce with determination. "Lu and I want to help, too. Besides, other than Lily, I'm the smallest target here. And even then, Lily has an awesome other form."

"It'd be harder for something large enough to land a blow on a dragon to try anything on one of us," Lucy agreed, furrowing her brow thoughtfully. "Smart idea, Levy."

Levy only grinned and planted her hands on her hips. "But we need a day or so of rest. Is there water down in that cave? I'm going to assume so since you were hiding down there, Igneel." She cast Gajeel a look. "We'll have to figure out how to deal with Igneel's wound so it doesn't weaken him further."

Igneel growled at the idea that he was any less strong than he'd ever been.

"It does look pretty bad," Natsu agreed, eyeing the wound. "We should have brought Wendy; for all we know, we could have miraculously tracked down Grandeeney out here, too."

"Grandeeney is far further than we ever were," Metalicana rumbled grouchily. "She is more of a bird than a dragon."

"Leave her be," Igneel snapped irritably, "You're the idiot that shoved himself into the ground."

"What happened to your home on some isolated island?" Metalicana challenged. "You're the Fire Dragon King and should know better than to intrude in others' territory, you fire-breathing fucker."

Gajeel rolled his eyes as the dragons began to bicker viciously between one another, Eberos watching with fascination. Grabbing Levy by the wrist, he forcefully hauled her towards where their nakama waited, his eyes fierce with annoyance. "C'mon," he told them, "We're gonna go hunt down some water. They'll be at it for a while."

Lucy and Levy exchanged a huge smile, and laughed to themselves as the fire dragon slayer immediately made some kind of retort about how it was Metalicana's fault. They began to bicker, replicating their parents, and the girls only shook their heads in exasperation.

Lily smacked a paw to his face and rumbled, "Come, let's find water while these morons bicker themselves into exhaustion."

Levy giggled and pressed her lips to his furry head before stepping into the dark cavern with Lucy at her side. She paused to summon Loke and Levy patiently waited as the usual flirting match was struck up before he agreed to use his magic to create lights for them to use so they could see within the dark cave.

No one noticed Eberos slip in behind them.

* * *

"Mira, have your received any word from Gajeel, Lucy, or Natsu on Levy's and Pantherlily's whereabouts?"

Mirajane paused in swiping the bar clean to glance up at Fairy Tail's guildmaster; Makarov looked worried, eyes full of concern for those that he considered children. It hurt the woman to shake her head and admit, "Nothing. The last I heard was when they arrived days and days ago… Lucy said there'd been something that Levy had left as a riddle for them, and part of it had been "tenrou", but that's all I know."

"So they were alive," Makarov said with a sigh of relief.

"There's that," she murmured, setting aside her rag. "I could go and check it out if you wish...Jet and Droy have been desperate." She jerked her chin in the pair's direction. They were both sitting in silence, distress written across their faces.

Makarov shook his head. "We'll give them more time. I'm sure that they've merely been caught up in whatever the job was about." Gajeel and Natsu were both powerful dragon slayers and Lucy a strong celestial mage. Not many could trump any of them to begin with with ease, and together, they were near unstoppable.

She tapped her chin in thought and then suggested, "Perhaps we could send word to the officials and see what they've heard in regards to Fairy Tail as of late? Then we'd be able to know what's going on even a slight bit."

Makarov muttered his agreement and reached for the beer he'd been drinking. He watched as Cana laughed and slammed a beer back, challenging Elfman, Macao, and Wakaba to meet her chosen amount. They gawked at her as if she was stupid, and she only cackled before simply chugging some more.

After a moment, Mirajane frowned and straightened. Biting her lip, she informed, "Master, I think we really should send someone...there've been reports of strange magic coming from near Oak Town for a while now, and I'm worried-"

Before she could finish speaking, the doors to the guildhall flew open and a flushed Wendy appeared, waving to catch everyone's attention. Charle hovered beside her, frowning, but she ignored the Exceed's concern and doubled over, catching her breath as silence fell. Finally, the young girl lifted herself upright and announced with a grim tone, "They're calling mages into Oak Town! A Council member caught me as I was leaving and ordered me to come back and tell everyone so that he could get in contact with another guild to help, too...there was an attack and the entire town was ripped to pieces!"

The look of shock that crossed over Makarov's face wasn't something that made most of the mages there feel all warm and fuzzy. Swearing softly, he slammed his drink down and said fiercely, "Mira, take everyone present. You're all going, packed or not. They're going to need a lot of help and there will be buried residents if the buildings are down."

Everyone murmured and nodded their agreement. Cana abandoned her drinking, serious as she glanced to Mira and demanded, "Didn't Gajeel drag Lucy and Natsu that way?"

Mira nodded carefully. "They were fine as far as we know. I didn't know of this, and I believe they set out into the desert to find Levy and Lily, so they may not even know about any of this...when we get there, some of us will head out to the ruins to figure out if they're still alright and see what they know."

Makarov nodded his approval. He approved of that plan and glanced over to where a peaceful Erza was listening, her gaze thoughtful. "Erza, why don't you and Mira go to investigate that when you arrive? Everyone else will be needed in the town."

"What about me?" Happy piped up from where he was sitting beside the scarlet-haired woman and the ice-make mage she'd been speaking with before the interruption had come. "I want to go, Natsu and Lucy are there!"

"You can go as well," Makarov told him with a smile. Happy looked pleased and beamed at the amused Erza beside him, tail twitching.

"I'll find a medical area and stay there when we arrive," Wendy offered. "People will need a healer."

Makarov gave his approval and stood, balancing with ease on the bar he'd been sitting on. "Alright, out! All of you! Go catch the next train! I'll send others your way if you deem the situation bad enough!"

Mira swept around the bar as everyone began to chatter amongst themselves and leave, pausing beside him as she murmured, "I'll inform you on our missing nakama as soon as possible, Master."

He gave her a nod and replied grimly, "I simply hope that whatever ruined Oak Town leaves them be."

* * *

 _Igneel's here! Gotta love Igneel. And Metalicana's nickname for him._

 _(Thanks to reviewers (NinaMika, AfterWriter, sassykitten1701, SilverGhostKitsune, Typhlosion8, Guest #1, and Tigerwoman188!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	14. Pools of Conflict

**. Oculto .**

* * *

"Yes!" Levy cheered when the reached the far back of the cave and discovered a pool of cold and clean water. "If Natsu lights some torches of sorts for us, we can use this until we head home! He could even boil some water for us and we could take a bath!"

Lucy snorted as Loke slyly commented, "Planning on using Natsu, are we? I can come up with several ways -"

"Shush, you," she scolded, and then knelt to dip her fingers into the water. "Hm...I'm glad this is here. We'll need something to clean up Igneel's wound with, right…?"

"Definitely." Levy knelt beside her and shoved her arms in without hesitation, happy that it was cold to soothe the sunburns she'd gotten. She smiled to herself as the cool water sloshed over them, sighing contently.

And then she screamed as something suddenly grabbed her by the arms and dragged her in. Lucy cried out, and Loke dove forward to stop her from diving in after, not daring to let the celestial mage get too close as a growl came from deep in his throat.

"Levy!" Lily bellowed, tail bristling.

"Move," a voice thundered, and he snarled in response, but yanked Lucy away as Eberos knelt beside the water and plunged his hands in much like Levy had. Loke's light cast strange shadows, but he lightened it so that everyone could see, and Lucy watched with shock as strange blackness filled the water. A second later, Eberos was hauling a sputtering and coughing Levy out. Wheezing, she coughed up black water, eyes full of shock and her hair plastered to her face.

"Levy," Lucy said nervously, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." Levy sneezed. "What the hell was that?!"

"Not something that was pleasant," Loke muttered irritably as Eberos pulled back, studying the water with care. His eyes never left the dragon slayer. "Well?"

"An imp of sorts," he drawled. "Nothing too big. It's dead now. You'll have to find another source of water; it would have been bad for you to drink it to begin with. Their bodies excrete some kind of illusionary substance that would have made you ridiculously thirsty and you would have likely ended up drowning yourself had you taken a drink or bathed in it."

"Well I did both, so I'm screwed," Levy snarled, spitting more water out of her mouth. She rested her head on her arms, hating her stupidity. She _knew_ better! She should have checked it! And she'd been saved by _Eberos_ of all people.

He snickered. "Stupid."

"Leave her alone," Lily snapped, grateful he hadn't been pulled into the cold water, too. He made sure Levy was okay alongside Lucy, worried.

"Shut up," Lucy huffed, patting Levy's shoulder as she took a minute to catch her breath.

A few moments later, Natsu came sprinting down the cavern in a blaze of glory, fire licking at every inch of his flesh. "What happened?" he demanded. "Gajeel's with the dragons 'cause he thought they might fight if we left 'em alone!"

Levy lifted a hand tiredly. "Change of plans, this water wasn't useable. I got dragged in by some creature, Eberos helped, and now I want to bash my head on a wall. We're fine."

Natsu stared harshly at Eberos, and then told Loke, "Don't trust him. Even if he did help Levy."

"I'm aware, Natsu," Loke snorted, "We see everything, remember?"

Natsu paused, and then turned to Levy. "Do you need help getting out?"

Levy shook her head, simply keeping her face in her arms. "No. I just want a moment to try and re-gather the scraps of my dignity."

"I'll help her," Lucy told him. "Lily, why don't you go with him and let Gajeel know she's okay before he blows up."

Natsu cackled, and then shot Eberos a glare and slid away after Lily had joined him, the light he offered fading the further away he got. It was a few moments before Levy groaned, "I suppose I better say it. Thank you, Eberos, for helping us out. Particularly me."

He smirked, ruby eyes glittering. "Tch. Finally got something I can use against your little iron fanatic." He turned away, heading out of the cave himself with a smug expression and no other response to her thanks. Levy made a face, hating that she'd been nice enough to say it.

"Come on, Levy," Lucy sighed. "Let's head out there so you can get dried off."

Levy merely grumbled and let her pull her to her feet.

* * *

Gajeel glared at Levy the second they made their way out of the cave. She gave him a helpless look, throwing her arms up in exasperation. It wasn't _her_ fault that everything was determined to get her killed today! It was her own fault and she knew it. She should have tested the water somehow.

"The hell are you doing, shorty?" he demanded angrily when he'd made his way over to her. His crimson eyes were furious, his face set in a look of rage as he glared down at her.

She merely sighed in exasperation. "I don't know anymore. I'm sorry, okay?" A flash of frustration filled her. She'd come to do a job alone, and she couldn't even keep herself out of a goddamn pool of _water_.

"That's the _second_ time today!"

"I know that," she snapped, scowling now as her temper snapped. "In case you didn't remember, Gajeel, the first time wasn't my fault!"

"And what the hell, Lily?" Gajeel continued, turning a scowl on his cat, who'd come over to rest on Levy's head. "You're supposed to keep an eye on her and make sure Eberos doesn't get near-"

"I wasn't the one fighting uselessly," Lily pointed out calmly, choosing to not lose his temper with the man like Levy was. "Had you paid attention, this wouldn't have happened."

He bristled, furious, and then snarled, "I trusted you with her!"

"I don't _need_ to be trusted with anyone!" Levy cried. "I'm an adult, Gajeel! I can make my own mistakes and recognize them! I don't need you reminding me of them every time I turn around! I know that I can't do anything right in regards to this...whatever this is!" Anger brought tears to her eyes, and she swiped them away roughly.

It was at that moment that she realized that everyone was watching them, particularly Metalicana with a look of amusement. She glared at all of them, and then finally just kicked Gajeel's shin as hard as she could, making him swear in surprise and stagger when pain slashed through it.

"Stupid Gajeel," she spat and then stalked away, reaching up to snatch Lily off of her head and cradle him in her arms, seeking comfort in his furry self. Gajeel scowled after her with a look of frustration, but didn't move to follow. There was a moment of silence as everyone stared - and then he shot a glare at all of them and narrowed his eyes.

"The fuck are you freaks looking at?" he snarled.

"...nothing," Lucy said hastily and looked elsewhere. Natsu pretended that he hadn't been listening while Metalicana merely snickered and muttered to Igneel about humans and their touchy attitudes, to which the tired fire dragon agreed.

Eberos smirked, looking pleased with the argument. Even if he wasn't personally the reason that people were being screwed with, at least they were fighting. He was fine with that. He contemplated slipping after Levy and seeing what drama he could add in, but glared up at the sun and chose not to.

He'd wait patiently until Gajeel did something even worse than scold her, and then he'd make a move.

"Teach your son the ways of females so that he stops upsetting her," Igneel told Metalicana suddenly. "This is ridiculous. At least Natsu knows to make sure that his partner is okay before shouting at her. Yours started shouting immediately."

Gajeel clenched his jaw, turning a furious look on Igneel, and Metalicana snipped back, "Ah, but my brat's closer to having the girl than yours is. Look at them, dancing around the idea as if it doesn't exist."

Lucy turned a brilliant red alongside Natsu and Gajeel as she shouted, "We don't need you two making an input on our relationship choices, so please stop!" The dragons ignored her and merely went back to their bickering.

Gajeel scrubbed a hand down his face in exasperation. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?" he muttered, glaring up at the dragons and then turned a sharp look over his shoulder in the direction that Levy had gone. She was pacing angrily nearly a dozen feet away, kicking at the sand and complaining angrily to Lily, who patiently listened to her fury.

He grimaced.

 _Women are a pain in the ass._

* * *

It was near evening before Levy grudgingly came back to join the rest of them, pouting and alone since Lily had gone back himself earlier to scold Gajeel. Gajeel hadn't taken it well and had joined her in a silent rage, growling at anyone who'd come too close. So the Exceed had taken to flying around the nearby areas with Natsu in search of fresh water that didn't have some kind of creature in it.

She found herself disgusted when she was immediately stopped by a smug looking Eberos, who commented, "You shouldn't walk around in the desert alone."

"You should go back to wherever you came from," she retorted.

"Mm, true. At least I could go back without help though, right?" he mocked, and then snickered to himself when she scowled at him. Almost playfully, he leaned in close so that he was only a breath away, eyes glittering with malicious intent. "Trust me when I say that the second we figure out what this thing is, I'm going to have my fun. Blondie will be fun, but I think you'll be even better for enjoying myself with. It isn't often you run into short blue-haired girls who lack in the chest area, you know?"

Levy clenched her jaw and crossed her arms angrily across the very chest he'd insulted. Clearing her throat, she said, "Think about it all you want, you won't be able to actually do it."

He grinned, showing off sharp teeth without an ounce of worry written across his face. He got even closer, large body towering over hers in an effort to intimidate her, but she only gave him a glare and stared up at him without fear. "I can have some fun right now if you want. You'd look pretty with your blood streaking the sand."

Levy lifted her chin. "Mm, perhaps. But Gajeel would tear the throat from your neck if you so much as tried."

"Ah, right, your boyfriend," he sneered. "Not that I think that little comment was true. Not after today. Fooled me for quite a while though. Makes it more fun to know that he wouldn't mind the idea." He suddenly snatched her chin up and she forced herself not to flinch, staring him in the eye as he hummed, "Do you really think he'd risk your fragile little neck to stop me?"

"No," Levy retorted. "But I would." She suddenly swung a leg up, attempting to nail him between the legs, but he shifted to avoid the blow, instead suddenly swiping her feet out from under her. She yelped as she hit the ground, his foot planting itself on her chest to pin her there.

Immediately, Gajeel was there, crimson eyes deadly as he glared at Eberos. Eberos only cackled. "You really think I couldn't kill her if I truly wanted to? Lighten up, freak. I'll take my sweet time when the times comes." He pressed down and Levy scrambled to shove him off with a wince, wheezing.

"Get off," Gajeel snarled, his loud demand catching the attention of Metalicana on purpose. In an instant the peaceful iron dragon was storming over with a roar, jaws clicking and red eyes full of rage. His jaws snapped at the man, and he leaped back to avoid it as he came to stand protectively over his son and Levy. Levy simply rested for a second to catch her breath, and then struggled to her feet, shaking slightly.

"I'm fine," she spat when Gajeel moved to grab the back of her shirt and lift her up entirely. She smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me."

His eyes narrowed irritably at the action, but he said nothing and instead simply aggressively glared at Eberos as he cackled, grinning up at Metalicana. From where he'd suddenly swept his head down to protect his own child and Lucy, Igneel let out a rumbling growl, not at all pleased.

And then, suddenly, Levy felt pity for Eberos.

None of them had even given the guy a chance to prove that he could behave or anything similar. They'd simply decided he was an enemy from the start. And so had probably everyone else, leaving him no choice but to choose the path that he'd been set up for.

Destruction.

Levy licked her lips and then demanded, "I'm fine, so stop overreacting. All of you. This is ridiculous."

Gajeel's head snapped around to gawk at her. "Are you fucking kidding me? This bastard just-"

She calmly met his gaze, narrowing her eyes. "I'm aware," she huffed. "Just...forget it. Okay? I'm fine, no one's hurt, and you're all being a bunch of testosterone-fueled idiots." A pause. "Except for Lucy and Lily."

He scowled after a moment and forced himself to relax, roughly reaching out to ruffle her hair. She flinched at the force, but recognized the action as an apology. His fingers lingered in her hair for the briefest of moments before he finally pulled back and huffed, "Lose the attitude, you iron-eating monster. Shrimp's fine."

Eberos looked quite shocked by this sudden turn of events. His gaze snapped to where the blue-haired woman was watching carefully, Metalicana reluctantly moving away and making the ground shake with his heavy steps as he went to rejoin Igneel.

And then he snorted and turned away.

Sighing softly, Levy rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.

She was just ready to go home and see Jet and Droy again.

* * *

When the evening came, Levy was exhausted. She and the other members of Fairy Tail had tended to Igneel's wound as best as they could while Eberos watched with a dark look in his eyes. She cracked a yawn as she nibbled at some of the food they'd brought, seated between Lucy and Gajeel, who decided to simply eat the iron from the cave.

Lily was seated in her lap, purring contently.

She was quite pleased with Gajeel at the moment and had showed just how much she appreciated it when he'd gruffly mumbled an apology to her about his earlier behavior by touching his arm and making him some iron with her magic. He'd smirked in response to her behavior and had playfully shoved her.

Levy was simply glad that he wasn't in a black mood anymore.

Suddenly, Natsu spoke up. "I say we head out at first light and leave the dragons here."

Surprised, Levy looked in his direction. She hadn't expected him to want to leave Igneel's side so quickly. She blinked owlishly and then glanced over her shoulder at where the pair of massive creatures were resting side-by-side. Their heads were rested in the sand, wings curled protectively around their bodies. Igneel's breathing was ragged, his body still healing from the wounds that had been left on him

"I think that's a smart idea," Levy admitted, touching her roll to her lips. She suddenly smiled, her hazel eyes narrowing in thought. "That way they don't get hurt any more than they already are."

Gajeel grunted. He popped a chunk of metal in his mouth, crunching down noisily for a moment before muttering aloud, "We leaving the other bastard behind?"

Levy exchanged a look with Lucy. She took a deep breath, and then turned back to Gajeel, saying carefully, "I think we should take Eberos with us, to keep an eye on him. Or something similar."

Gajeel paused mid-chew and then turned a piercing glare on her. Natsu stopped to give her a confused look, not so much as angry as he was curious as to why. He wasn't fond of Eberos, but after what had happened with the strange imp-like creature in the cave, he hadn't been as against him. Lucy and Lily just looked anxious.

"If this thing can hurt dragons," Levy said hastily to defend herself, not wanting them to be upset with her for deciding to give the man a chance. "Then maybe it's better that we have more help. And as much as we all dislike him, he can pack a serious punch if he knocked Metalicana out of the sky, right?"

"I'm with Levy," Natsu said after a moment. Lucy gave him a surprised look. "I mean, Gajeel and I can hold up against a lot of things, but we had issues against the dragons after the Grand Magic Games. If he can beat a dragon, then he should come to figure out what's hurting them."

"...I guess," Lucy said reluctantly, biting her lip. "I suppose he can come so long as he stays away from me. I don't want anything to do with him."

"I'll stick with Lucy on that," Lily's deep voice rumbled from Levy's lap, and she smiled down at him before looking expectantly at Gajeel. He'd narrowed his eyes, as grouchy as ever - perhaps even more so because of the conversation - yet agreed.

"What Salamander said," he huffed finally, disgust lining his tone. "Not that I like it."

Levy's eyes glowed happily as she beamed at him. "You don't have to," she said, touching his arm soothingly. He merely grunted and popped another screw in his mouth, loudly crunching down since he knew they all hated the sound. She flinched, but simply scribbled out some more iron for him in gratitude.

"So who's going to tell the dragons that they're staying here?"

Lucy's amused question made Levy grimace. Metalicana wouldn't be pleased and would more than likely throw a fit. So she sighed and said, "I'll do it since I'm the one that got us all into this mess. And I think Metalicana likes me decently enough-"

"He's more than likely considering you a part of the family," Natsu cut in. "Dragons take those kind of bonds, like the ones we have, seriously."

Levy felt a little touched by that announcement and, pleased, said, "Even more of a reason for me to tell them. Unless you or Lucy want to tell Igneel? Or you wanted to tell Metalicana, Gajeel?"

"Nah, you tell the bastard," Gajeel told her, lazily gnawing on a bolt. His crimson eyes studied something that she couldn't see in the far off distance. When Levy squinted, she thought she saw a cloud of sand fill the air before settling. A little spooked, she glanced at their nakama, who exchanged a look.

"I'll tell them with you," Natsu decided, "Since I suggested it."

She felt a little relieved by that. "Thanks, Natsu."

He only gave her a grin and tugged the scarf from his mouth before turning back to Lucy and setting to work on guilting her into giving him a portion of her meal as per usual. Lucy looked amused, as if she knew exactly what he was doing, but pretended to go along with it anyways.

Levy watched them for a moment, and then sighed, propping her chin on her open palm and her elbow on her knee. She watched the flickering embers of the fire that Natsu had made for them with a dark look in her hazel eyes, missing Jet and Droy more than ever. This was the longest that she'd been away from them - outside of what had happened with Tenrou, of course. And despite the issues they'd had before she'd left on the job that had resulted in this mess, she guessed that they were as worried about her as she was about them.

She bit her lip, and then simply reached for the pack she'd brought with her, pulling out a blanket and curling up in it after wrapping it around her, closing her eyes without another word to her friends and curling around Lily so that he was cuddled against her stomach.

A minute or so later, she heard a scoff followed by a familiar calloused hand touching her cheek before the blanket was adjusted. Natsu snickered and Lucy hummed in amusement, earning a growl of irritation from Gajeel, but Levy only smiled to herself and settled down to sleep, comforted by the fact that she was surrounded by friends.

* * *

"Hell no."

Levy patiently looked up at the growling iron dragon with a gentle look on her face, aware that the longer it took for her to convince the dragons to stay, the less time they'd have before night fell and they ended up with a disadvantage against whatever was out there. "Metalicana," she said carefully, meeting his glowing red eyes with a cautious look. "Whatever it is hurt you to the point that I exhausted my magic trying to patch you up. And, on top of that, it managed to catch two dragons by surprise. So we need you and Igneel to stay here and rest while we deal with whatever it is. We're not going to fight, we're just going to see what's out there and come straight back."

"What she said," Natsu added, jerking his thumb at the small blue-haired woman.

Metalicana lowered his head, eyes glittering as he gently pressed his nose against her. It was a gentle action, just enough to nudge her, and she stumbled in surprise, nearly falling over and having to grab Natsu's shoulder to catch herself. "No," he rumbled. "I'm sorry, little one, but we won't allow you small creatures to go alone."

"We'll be fine," she protested. "Besides, we're dragging Eberos along, even if he's not exactly a good person. He knocked you out of the sky. I'm sure he can handle it if anything attacks."

"But will he protect you from this creature?" Igneel finally questioned, just as annoyed by this. He wasn't quite as determined to keep with the humans, however, and had reluctantly admitted that the pair were correct. He was injured, as well, adding to the unavoidable agreement he'd admitted to.

"...probably not, but I'm sure he'll fight back if it attacks him," Levy told the fire dragon, and then looked to Natsu for support. The pink-haired fire mage shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "Hopefully. Anyways, we plan on being back by tomorrow evening, Metalicana. I swear."

Metalicana made a sound of protest, not willing to allow them to go without them, but Igneel finally stepped in and taunted, "Do you think that your boy can't protect the little one, Metalicana? Mine surely can take over if you wish."

Metalicana's plating clinked as he bristled, his jaws clicking viciously. "Gajeel can do a fine job of protecting the little one! Watch." He turned his head back to Levy, who was fighting the urge to burst into giggles. "Go find this creature and alert us of what it is so that we may kill it, little one. Hurry though. I would prefer you back before nightfall."

"Tomorrow evening," Levy repeated as a promise, reaching up to touch his nose affectionately and then turned and hurried back to the others beside Natsu. "We've gotten the all clear!" she announced, smiling brightly at Lucy. "Igneel had to trick Metalicana into it, but we're good to go now."

"The fuck are we waiting on then?" Gajeel demanded, smirking down at the blue-haired woman and slamming a glove-clad fist into his open palm. "Let's go!"

She grinned up at him and then turned to face the open desert before them, swearing that she could have seen something shifting among the sands in the distance.

"Yeah," she echoed firmly. "Let's go."

* * *

 _And they're off! We'll be leaving the dragons for a bit, not more than a chapter or so. :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, Tigerwoman188, AfterWriter, and SilverGhostKitsune!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	15. Linnorm

**. Oculto .**

* * *

"Kill me now," Lucy moaned, wiping sweat from her forehead and grimacing at the heat. "I don't for the life of me understand how people could ever live in a place like this."

"It's not so bad," Gajeel said, exchanging a look with Natsu, surprisingly peaceful in regards to the fire mage. "S'kinda nice, actually."

"I don't mind," Natsu agreed. "Feels great. I can't usually feel seriously warm like you people, so it's a nice change. I like it. Too bad we don't have anything like this in Magnolia."

"If we had this in Magnolia, I wouldn't be a member of Fairy Tail," Lily said darkly, his small tongue poking out as he panted. Levy giggled at the sight; he looked closer to an actual cat today, and she felt bad for him with his dark fur dragging in the heat.

"I'm with Lily on this," Levy told them, lifting him up so that he could sprawl out on her hair and try to avoid adding to the heat. She knew Fairy Tail's flying cats loved the heat of summer and would nap in the sun patches of the guildhall, but this was too much, even for him.

"Mm, I should summon Scorpio," Lucy said suddenly, "Sand is his...domain…" She stopped, suddenly smirking, reaching for her keys - only to suddenly panic. "My keys! My keys! Where are they!?"

"You should keep a closer eye on them," Eberos drawled, swinging them around his finger. He was a dozen or so steps ahead of the rest of them, and he glanced back with a sneer on his face. "If they disappear, you'll never get them back."

Natsu's face darkened with rage as Lucy's paled, and Eberos snorted, tossing them over his shoulder. The fire mage snatched them out of the air with ease, handing them to Lucy gently, and she hugged them to her with a relieved expression. "Touch them again," he said darkly, "And I'll rip your arms from your body."

"Go ahead and try," Eberos challenged.

"Stop the arguing, or I'll find a way to summon Aquarius," Lucy threatened, and then summoned Scorpio like she'd originally planned. The Spirit appeared beside her in a flash of light, a sympathetic look in his eyes as he greeted them cheerfully.

"Scorpio," Lucy demanded carefully, "Are you able to sense anything through the sand? We're looking for something big. Something that could injure a dragon."

Scorpio blinked in surprise. "I can try, Miss Lucy," he offered, kneeling to shove his hands into the sand. The metallic scorpion-like tail curved above his head as he focused, ordering them to not move so much as an inch. Everyone - even Eberos - went still.

And then Scorpio opened his eyes and stared to the west of their current location, announcing, "We're close, Miss Lucy. A mile off. It's coming this way."

Immediately, everyone went into a battle-ready stance, and Natsu practically hopped up and down in excitement. Lucy smiled nervously at Scorpio. "Thanks, Scorpio, but I don't think you'd be good for this fight. Do you know if Gemini's available?"

"Gemini should be able to fight for you, Miss Lucy," Scorpio responded. "Just summon me if you need me!" That said, he disappeared, and Lucy put his key away in favor of Gemini's.

Levy readied her own magic, Lily expertly slinking down to dig his claws into her shirt, prepared to lift her should he need to. Gajeel kept close, his crimson eyes suddenly narrowing into slits. "Here it comes," he rumbled, studying the shifting sands that were streaking towards them.

And then it suddenly shot into the air. A roar filled their ears, hot breath washing over them. Natsu took the chance to bellow out a Fire Dragon's Roar at the massive creature, and it took little time for Gajeel to do so as well. Eberos, after a moment of hesitation, unleashed his own Roar, the black mixing with the iron and fire in a deadly inferno.

The creature merely shook it off and crashed onto the sand with another scream-like sound, its long body thrashing angrily.

Levy narrowed her eyes, sorting through her endless knowledge for some kind of clue as to what it was. Suddenly, she shouted, "Oh! Linnorm!"

"Now is not the time for coming up with words, shrimp!" Gajeel bellowed as it came to rest on its two legs, its massive head tilting. Three eyes blinked hatefully at them. Scales glinted blindingly in the sunlight, and it parted its jaws to show off rows and rows of horribly sharp teeth.

"No, no!" Levy replied breathlessly, her eyes wide. Lily was still on her head, fur bristling now. "It's a linnorm, Gajeel! A linnorm! It's similar to dragons, but lacks wings and back legs...it explains how something got beneath Igneel and attacked his belly, or how something could have come up from beneath Metalicana when Eberos knocked him out of the sky! It attacks from the ground!"

"Yeah, that's great," Eberos said bitingly. "And how is that going to help us when it's sneaking underneath the ground? Got any weak spots?"

"Err, downside about linnorms," Levy said hesitantly, "They have thick armor that is nearly impossible to get past and we should probably get back to the dragons, because I doubt it'll attack two at once, even if one is injured."

" _Levy_ ," Lucy cried, "Why wouldn't you think of this before it attacked?"

"I wasn't thinking," she cried back, and then threw up a shield when the linnorm's long tail suddenly cracked towards them as fast and sharp as a whip. It slammed into the word that Levy had created, and sent she and Lily flying into Natsu. He yelped as they hit the sand harshly, and Lucy took up a stance before them to try and protect them until they could get up and ready themselves again.

Natsu wheezed as Levy dug her elbow into his gut and tried to get herself upright. She froze when the sands began to shift beneath them, and her heart skipped a beat when it struck her that it was possible the linnorm wasn't alone.

"Move!" she screamed, hauling Natsu up upright. He grunted, but did as she said, grabbing Lucy around the waist and diving out of the way. Levy gasped when a second tail came out of nowhere and hooked her, throwing her into the air. A second linnorm rose out of the sand, jaws parted and ready to gulp her down, and Levy screwed her eyes shut in preparation.

The linnorm screamed as a pillar of iron sent it skidding away, and Levy grunted when she hit the ground, rolling down a small incline that the linnorm had created. She scrabbled frantically at the sands when she saw the hole she was plummeting towards, and then grinned in relief at Lily when he snagged his claws in her shirt and lifted her to safety.

"Thanks," she gasped.

He returned the smile. "No problem." He carried her high above the attack as Lucy and the dragon slayers launched attack after attack at the linnorms, trying to fend them off, and she narrowed her eyes, fighting to think of what they could do to fix their current situation.

One of the linnorms shook itself suddenly and then dove underground, tunneling through the sand like it was nothing. Levy watched the sands shift and roil as it left for some reason that the blue-haired woman couldn't figure out. Her eyes narrowed and she ordered, "Put me down, Lily, and then be careful, but follow that linnorm. Come back to this spot before nightfall."

He did that as quickly as he could, zipping off, calling words of farewell to Levy and Gajeel, who merely demanded that she tell him where he was going, backing off to let the others momentarily deal with the enemy before them.

"The other linnorm left," Levy explained. "I sent Lily to follow it." She threw up a solid-script: shield, and then whirled around to block another blow that was sent their way by the linnorm's whipping tail. Gajeel used his magic to nail themselves into the ground, letting her lean back against him for support so that it didn't send her flying again, and then shifted when it drew back.

"Why?" he huffed.

"What if it's protecting something?" Levy murmured. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I wonder if...Gajeel, there's two of them. Maybe they have a nest or something? And they thought we got too close?"

"Dragons don't kill people or other creatures if they get too close to their nests," he pointed out. His crimson eyes followed the linnorm's every movement as it suddenly screamed and lunged. Eberos darted back, narrowly avoiding being snapped up. It caught his cloak as it was and tore a shred off, shaking it violently as if the linnorm thought he was still clad in it.

"Look!" Lucy suddenly called, pointing up. "Beneath the arm!"

Levy's hazel eyes followed, and she narrowed her eyes, seeing the vulnerable spot. "Beneath the jaw, too," Natsu added, tilting his own head back a fraction to tap the spot he'd mentioned. He took advantage of the linnorm's open jaws to bellow out his Roar, and the linnorm suddenly screamed in agony, collapsing downwards. It rolled, making a sound that had Gajeel grimacing.

And then its three eyes filled with agonized rage and it threw itself forward, snapping as it tried to get to _someone_. Gajeel shoved Levy towards Lucy, and the blonde caught her blue-haired friend before she hit the ground. A moment later, its jaws clamped down on Gajeel's foot, and he was gone, the creature burrowing into the sand and dragging him with it.

"Gajeel!" Levy screamed, immediately frantic. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, fear for her friend and quite possibly more driving her forward when she slipped. She was grabbed around the waist by a grumbling Eberos before she could reach the hole in the ground, which had slowly begun to fill with sand.

"Don't bother," he muttered, "You'll get yourself killed trying to save a dead man."

"Who the fuck do you think we are?" she sneered, kicking him in the back of the knee so that his leg gave out. He snarled as he hit the ground, and she yanked free, shouting, "Lucy! Lucy, summon Scorpio, he can help!"

"Right," Lucy agreed, jogging over. Natsu wasn't far behind, determined to make sure nothing happened to her. She summoned Scorpio after sending Gemini back to its world, and then demanded, "Search for the linnorm that took Gajeel or Gajeel himself, Scorpio! And hurry!"

"Of course!" he said, dropping to dig his fingers into the sand. It seemed to shift momentarily before he was suddenly burrowing himself down, ordering them all to stay back. They peered down the hole after him, Levy's heart pounding as she silently pleaded for him to bring Gajeel back.

A few minutes later, Scorpio burst out of the sand a good dozen or so feet away. He'd drawn the arm of a nearly unconscious Gajeel over his shoulder and Levy threw herself towards them, her feet slipping in the sand as she rushed over. Lucy, Natsu, and - with annoyance - Eberos weren't far behind.

"Gajeel!" Levy gasped as Scorpio carefully lowered him to the ground, explaining, "The linnorm left him and I could feel the blood in the sand. He must have punctured an eye or something to get it to release him."

"We need water," Lucy muttered, frustrated that there weren't any fresh sources around. But she removed a flask from the pack she'd dropped before the fight when Natsu set it down, handing it to the blue-haired woman, who worriedly handed it to Gajeel when he sat up. He coughed, hacking loudly as he tried to clear his lungs of sand. His breath rattled in his chest as he sucked in air, his dark hair filled with sand.

After he'd caught his breath, he chugged what was left of the water, and then went to work on spitting sand out of his mouth. "Disgusting," he snarled.

Sure that he'd be alright now, Levy turned her attention on his bloodied leg, grimacing at the nasty teeth marks that had been left there. One tooth had punctured all the way through, and her throat tightened at the sight of bone it had skimmed.

"I'm sorry," she managed to choke out. "I'm sorry! If I hadn't taken this stupid job-"

"Someone else would have gotten involved and it might have been a bit worse," Natsu said, cutting her off. He eyed the wound carefully. "We should head back to Oak Town, send word that we need Wendy...they could be venomous for all that we know."

Levy burst into tears at that, and Gajeel gave him a dirty look. "Thanks for that, Salamander."

He rolled his eyes. "Just being truthful," he grumbled. "Anyways, we can see what Gramps has to say on the linnorms and figure out what to do with the rest of the guild-"

"And what do you plan on doing with the dragons?" Eberos suddenly demanded. He wore a look of cheerfulness on his face, as if he was pleased with the damage that had been done, and Levy glared through her tears at him for it. "They didn't want to see you, let alone people who will question where the others are."

"I hate to admit it," Lucy sighed, "But he's right...the dragons didn't want to see their own children, Natsu. No offense to you or Gajeel of course, but what do you think they're going to do? Let people demand and question them when they didn't want to be found to begin with?"

"Wendy will want to know where Grandeeney is," Natsu admitted. "And if Sting and Rogue caught wind of this…"

"Damn it," Gajeel huffed, dragging over the pack Natsu had dropped. He searched for more water, and Levy gently took the flask from his grip to fill it, using her magic.

"Well, Gajeel does need to get looked at, even if we can't involve everyone else, and I bet Kenai's mother could help," the quivering solid-script mage murmured. "Ell seemed to have a decent base of knowledge about everything...but wasn't Oak Town wrecked?"

"It was," Lucy muttered, scowling. She tapped a scar on her head that was forming. "I'd know, believe me."

Eberos snorted. "Well, I didn't exactly expect to need the town for anything more than catching someone's attention." They all looked to him, and he shrugged his shoulders. "Just because I'm willing to assist doesn't mean I care."

"You," Lucy seethed, "Are a complete and total-"

"If Oak Town was destroyed," Natsu said slowly, "Then one of the guilds will be there helping with cleanup. Maybe even more than one."

Levy pressed her lips together, glancing up at Gajeel. He was busy chugging more water and didn't seem to notice her look. Gently, she shifted the shreds of his pants aside to examine the wound left there, and he snarled in pain, glaring at her. She ignored it and grabbed the water from him. "It needs to be cleaned out," she muttered. "There's a lot of sand in it."

"Tch, don't blame me if you get kicked," he growled, and then hissed when she dribbled water over the wound. She yanked her headband off, using the cloth to swipe at it with shaking hands.

Natsu suddenly lifted a hand. "I could cauterize it. Wendy showed me how." he offered. "That'll help stop infections and the bleeding."

Levy looked like she was honestly considering it for a moment, but Gajeel said hastily, "No, Salamander, no way in _hell_."

"Okay, okay," Lucy reassured. "We won't cauterize it. Here, Levy, use this to wrap it and we'll just have to wait for Lily to come back before we leave." She handed Levy one of her many headbands that the solid-script mage had packed, and Levy's small fingers tenderly wrapped the injury.

"There," she said after tying the make-shift bandage.

"We should have brought real bandages when we came searching," Lucy muttered, shaking her head. "I don't know what we were thinking…"

"We weren't," Natsu huffed. "We were focused on finding Levy and Lily."

"Don't need 'em," Eberos said smugly. "Kill anyone before they even think about hurting me. Haven't been injured in years."

Natsu studied him for a moment. "Oh, yeah?"

Eberos smirked.

There was a moment of silence.

And then Lucy did some kind of roundhouse kick, her booted heel nailing him right in the jaw. Eberos went down with a strangled yelp, and Natsu stared at his partner in shock, having fully intended to simply deck him. Levy and Gajeel gawked up at her.

She smiled angelically at the dragon slayer. "Don't touch my goddamn keys, or I'm going to kick you into next year. Natsu can attest to how strong my Lucy Kicks are, can't you, Natsu?"

"Yep," he said cheerfully.

Eberos sat up, shock written across his face, and he touched his jaw gingerly. "What the _fuck_."

Gajeel cackled. "Don't piss off our women, stupid."

Levy giggled, and did a final check on Gajeel's leg before settling in beside him, determined to wait for Lily and then head straight back to Oak Town so that someone could look at his leg.

She paused.

 _Which direction are we heading…?_

* * *

Lily returned near dusk, when they'd settled down for the night, and landed right in Levy's lap without warning, making the young woman squawk in surprise. After apologizing, he announced, "I followed the linnorms as best as I could and searched the area I lost them in, and I found a small temple of sorts."

"Interesting," Levy murmured. "We'll have to go look in it when we come back."

"That fucker almost tore my leg off and we're coming _back_?" Gajeel seethed, and she shrugged. She wanted to know what the linnorms had decided to protect.

"I'm with Gajeel, Levy," Lucy said reluctantly. "I don't like this...I think we should leave whatever the linnorms are protecting alone. They went after _dragons_ without a second thought and they did nearly eat Gajeel, so I think we should just leave them be."

Natsu made a face. "But there might be some kind of badass treasure in there! Or someone who's been stuck!"

"Fuck 'em," Eberos muttered. "Leave 'em there."

"That's rude," Levy huffed, and then glanced down at Lily when he calmly began to speak.

"Personally, I think we should talk with the dragons and see what they want to do. They could very likely destroy the linnorms if they were at full strength and knew what to watch out for. They're more powerful magic wise, and I'm sure Natsu's father incinerates anything."

"What he said," Levy agreed. "I think Lily's idea is great. We have to head back to the dragons anyways to figure out where we need to go to get back to Oak Town." She swept her wild blue hair back and then eyed Gajeel's thoughtfully. It could do with a good brushing, honestly, though she guessed he'd want to wash his hair free of sand before even thinking of brushing it.

"If the dragons went, it'd be better," Lucy agreed slowly. "I think we should send for Wendy if we can though. I know she'd ask questions, but her magic would be incredibly helpful in all of this."

"Bunny girl is right," Gajeel said after a moment, grumbling about the fact. "The kid's magic would make it so we didn't have to run back and forth if the stupid things bit us."

"Okay, that's lovely, but what if she gets hurt?" Natsu grumbled. He was all for going to investigate what the linnorms were defending, but he didn't want the youngest slayer hurt. "Then we're screwed, and she's _Wendy_. If Wendy comes, Charle comes, and that means Happy has to be put in danger. Actually, I think you should stay with him," he suddenly added to Lucy.

"I will drop you in two seconds flat by a Lucy Kick to a certain spot on your body if you so much as think of leaving me behind," she said darkly.

Even Eberos flinched, and Natsu hastily backtracked, correcting himself. "Right, so Lucy can come, but I don't want Happy or Wendy in danger."

"Another exceed would be useful," Lily disagreed. "Even if it's Happy."

"Hey!" Natsu snapped. "Leave Happy alone, he's good!"

"Yes, he is," Lucy soothed, rubbing her partner's shoulder, and then turned her gaze to Levy. "Levy," she finally sighed, "You and Lily are the two who took the job in the first place, so why don't you two make the decision and we'll follow along. Although, Gajeel, if your wound is bad enough, you may have to stay in Oak Town."

"Like hell," he snarled. "I ain't letting you freaks go running off with her and bring him, too." The iron dragon slayer jerked his thumb in Eberos' direction, and Eberos shrugged, not bothered by the attitude directed at him.

"He's not wrong," was all he said. "I do want to play with you guys."

Levy looked down at Lily, who gave her a look that told her he'd do whatever she thought was good, as she was the one who'd picked the job. So, Levy took a deep breath, and announced, "Here's what we'll do. I don't want a big team going back, but I need a strong one. So I'm taking myself, Gajeel if he's up to it, and Lily. If Gajeel can't do it due to his leg, I'll take Eberos and Natsu. Lucy, I want you in charge of making up cover stories for us as to why we're not coming back, because I don't want the dragons revealed."

Lily nodded slowly. Gajeel grumbled. "I'm still going," he told her. "No matter what's goin' on, I'm not letting ya run around with that fucker."

"Language, Gajeel," she huffed.

"And what about Wendy?" Natsu demanded.

Levy went quiet as she thought it over, and then sighed heavily, "I want to get the dragons' opinion before we decide what to do about that. If they agree, I'll take her with us. If they don't, we'll see what she can do for Gajeel's leg, and then leave her to stay with you guys in Oak Town."

Eberos scowled. "Selfish little bastards, aren't you?"

"I said I'd take you if Gajeel can't," Levy pointed out, "I could have left you out entirely."

"I should make it so no one can go," he retorted.

Levy glared furiously now, narrowing her eyes into angry slits. "Lucy Kicks are fantastic, but I doubt you've been kicked by a woman under five feet tall who has to run to keep up with everyone."

He rolled his eyes, but fell silent, turning his face away, and Levy felt Gajeel affectionately tug on a lock of her blue hair. He was amused with her responses to his irritating comments and showed it in a quiet way that no one else would notice.

Levy felt a warmth in her chest when she smiled at him, and then hugged Lily before setting him in the sand beside her. "We should get some rest for tomorrow, it's going to be a mess. If Metalicana's up to it, he might even be able to get us back to Oak Town in a few hours rather than days."

"His kid's been hurt," Natsu said simply. "He'll get us there in minutes. And if you ask, seconds."

"Aw, that's kind of sweet of you to say, Natsu," Levy cooed, and then simply flopped back into the sand as Natsu announced that he wasn't going to sleep just yet. Lucy agreed that it was smart to have a person watching for the linnorms, and he told her she could be next so long as she summoned a Spirit to sit with her that wasn't a silver key.

Gajeel grumbled, but settled down, and Levy felt comforted by the sound of his rumbling breaths enough that she fell asleep within minutes.

* * *

 _Sorry for the late update, my internet was horrid for all of yesterday!_

 _Alright, my peoples. There was questions about why Levy wouldn't just use her magic to create water. As you can see, I didn't forget that she could. Here's the thing: if your magic drained away as you use it and you had a psychotic mass murderer beside you as you prepared to fight something that could injure a dragon, would you waste your magic or would you try to find a source of water first? Practicality would demand that you search out another way to get water before you use what you need to defend yourself. It'd be like tiring yourself out at the beginning of a race; it's a waste of energy._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Violet Shadow Kurayami, Typhosion8, AfterWriter, Tigerwoman188, Dragonfan47, Guest #1, SilverGhostKitsune, and Msies!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	16. Temporary Reunion

**. Oculto .**

* * *

Levy stared straight into the large glowing red eye that looked intently at her, not showing an ounce of fear at the loud growl that rumbled through the air made her small body tremble. "You," Metalicana rumbled furiously, "Want me to take you to the human town, bring you back, and let ya go with whoever goes to a temple guarded by two linnorms, both of which caught this fire-breathing fucker and I off guard?"

Levy blinked once. "...yes, that sounds about right. Please? Gajeel shouldn't be walking, and I think the wound might be infected."

"And should Grandeeney's daughter learn that dragons are walking in the area, she will demand to know where Grandeeney is," Igneel pointed out.

Metalicana clicked his jaws at the fire dragon, looking unamused. "Shut up, bastard, I've got this." He returned his gaze to Levy. "It's not a smart move, little one."

"I know," Levy said softly, "Please, Metalicana. We don't need you to take us right outside of town, a few miles away would be fine. We still have Salutem here, maybe you could carry him with us. That way we'd get to town fast without you having to get too close."

"Stupid creature," Metalicana muttered. "It won't leave me be."

"He likes you," Levy laughed. " _Please_ will you take us there and then bring us back?"

"Fine," Metalicana muttered, "But only because you asked, little one. I won't carry the black mage." His gaze lifted to glare at the smirking Eberos, who was watching without an ounce of compassion for anyone involved in their current situation.

"That's alright," Levy reassured, "Natsu and Lily are going to stay here with Eberos. Lucy and I will be going back with you and Gajeel - and Salutem, I suppose." She grinned gratefully up at him and then went to inform her friends and Eberos, though she guessed that the dragon slayers already knew.

"Here's what is going to happen," she said, hands on her hips as she looked up at all of them. Lily had taken on his larger form to help when Gajeel's leg had give out, and it didn't look like he was going to transform back just yet. "Lucy and I are taking Gajeel back to town; Metalicana's going to take Salutem with us so he can land a couple miles out."

"Can he carry all of you?" Natsu said cautiously, frowning.

"I will carry the horse as well." They looked over to discover Metalicana's head snaking over. The dragon had shifted closer, and his head came to rest between Levy and Lucy. The solid-script mage beamed and rested a hand on the heavy metal plating that lined his head. "So that you may all get there quickly."

"Thank you, Metalicana," Lucy said gratefully. She glanced worriedly to Natsu, who gave her a bright grin. "What are you guys going to do until we get back?"

"I'll sit with my dad," he said simply. "I want to tell him everything that's happened since he left, you know?" Lucy nodded in understanding, and Levy guessed that she was feeling a bit upset about the fact that both of her parents were no longer in the realm of the living.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Lily promised, and then glanced at where Gajeel was sitting, watching them all with narrowed crimson eyes. "I hope Gajeel will be up and walking when you get back. He's going to throw a tantrum if you go without him."

"Shut up," Gajeel grumbled, unamused with Lily's unhelpful commentary on what he thought would happen. Levy giggled, silently agreeing with the Exceed about the matter before glancing to Metalicana. "When are we leaving?"

"Hold on one goddamn second," Igneel's rumbling voice snapped as he lumbered over, head lowered. "Why are ya taking the golden one away?"

Lucy beamed up at the fire dragon, clearly pleased with his affection for her and looking almost honored that he'd chosen to like her. "Someone has to check in on the town. I'm going to send word to Fairy Tail that we're alright, ask them to send Wendy to us so that she can look at Gajeel's leg, come up with excuses, the likes. I'm going to fabricate some stories to keep you guys hidden from everyone else. They'll ask what caused Gajeel's wound, I'll just say a wyvern that caught us by surprise."

Igneel's piercing gaze studied her before he bared his teeth in a grin, amused with the ease of which she was creating untrue lies. "You're a smart one. Heartfilia, you said? I knew a few members of your family. You are just as clever as they."

Lucy beamed.

"Anyways," Levy cut in, amused with the friendliness in what she had decided to call the Dragneel group, "When we get back, I'm taking whoever to go and investigate the linnorms' temple."

Metalicana looked to Igneel, who rumbled, "And you expect us to remain here again?"

Levy silently clenched her jaw, not looking at anyone else as she spoke now.

No.

She didn't.

But they would.

"Yes," she said firmly. "But not doing nothing. I'm leaving you here to deal with the linnorms."

Silence, and then Natsu said awkwardly, "Levy, they're going to be protecting the temple."

"They seem to naturally hate dragons," Levy explained. "They wouldn't have attacked a dragon if they didn't. No one just attacks a dragon and attracts its attention like that for no reason. Dragons are rumored to have a taste for revenge like no other. I don't know if that's true, but…"

"And how do you expect us to get them here?" Metalicana rasped.

"That's where whoever is staying behind comes in." Levy turned to face her friends now. "I'm changing up the number of who is going now. I'm taking one person only. Gajeel, if you're fixed up, it'll be you. If not," she paused, and then said carefully, "Eberos."

Gajeel unleashed a sound that was near animalistic. "No way in _hell_ , shrimp-"

"I'm still fine!" Natsu protested, "I can go-"

"No, you'll be the one in charge of catching the linnorms' attention," she told the fire mage, ignoring Gajeel's loud protests, Metalicana's irritated rumbling, and Eberos' shocked gawking.

Clearly, the black mage hadn't expected to be included in such a way.

"Natsu, you can irritate the hell out of anything you want," she explained. "I'm counting on you to get the linnorms to the dragons and alongside whoever is here, you're going to kick ass. I'm hoping Gajeel's leg will be alright enough to let him go with me."

"This isn't smart, little one," Igneel said gently. He looked uneasy, and Metalicana agreed with him quietly as he studied the blue-haired woman.

"Sometimes you need to be stupid," was all Levy said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'll go get Salutem and the horse. They got some water while we were gone, right?" Metalicana shrugged his massive shoulders and she gave him a look of horror. "It's a desert, they'll fry from the inside out!"

"I don't take care of animals," Metalicana grumbled, "That's your job, little one."

"Ugh!" She threw her hands in the air. "Lucy, could you-"

"Yep!" Lucy cast her friend a smile, and then hurried over. She and Levy left the group to take care of the animals, and when they were gone, the men and magical creatures left behind all sat in silence before Eberos suddenly spoke.

"What stupid fucking idiot put _her_ in charge?" he muttered. "She's askin' for death. I _want_ to rip her into pieces."

"I don't even know anymore," Natsu groaned, exchanging a tired look with Lily. They were going to stay with the dragons, and neither were pleased that Eberos was going to be staying as well. But it was better than him going into town again, he supposed.

Gajeel didn't look very happy either. He was giving them all dirty looks, particularly Metalicana. "If I ain't going," he said firmly, "You are, you old metal bastard."

Metalicana rumbled out a growl. "I do what the little one wants, brat," he retorted. "I ain't lookin' to upset her like some of us."

He gave his father a death glare before turning his attention back on Levy - or at least trying to. He grimaced in pain, glancing at his leg after a moment, and made a face of annoyance.

He could see the reddened flesh peeking out from the makeshift bandage. He knew that it was infected or worse.

But he didn't give a shit.

He just wanted to make sure that Levy was okay.

So if it meant Wendy using up all of her magic for a week to make sure it healed quickly, he'd ask it of her, because Gajeel wasn't willing to let Levy go running off with Eberos of all people!

"Fuckin' shrimp," he growled in irritation, and then turned his face to the sky, studying it with a look of exhaustion. This job had done a complete turnaround from when he'd watched her leave with his cat in tow. It wasn't a simple "retrieve a treasure".

It was far from it.

Yet he couldn't complain, he guessed, glancing at his father.

He'd gotten more treasure than he'd expected when he'd come chasing after Levy.

* * *

"We good?"

"Yeah, let me go say goodbye to Natsu," Lucy told Levy as the blue-haired woman blinked patiently, waiting for the go. Metalicana was going to let them on first, and then go for the animals. Salutem - intelligent compared to the horse - didn't seem to mind when he'd done a practice test, but the horse had gone berserk, screaming practically.

Lucy sprinted off to say farewell to Natsu, who was watching them from his place beside his father. The pink-haired mage caught her in a tight hug, pressing his face briefly into her golden hair. They spoke to each other, and Levy smiled at the sight before turning to Gajeel, who stood on one foot with a grimace, sweat dotting his face.

Worried, Levy offered comfort in a simple touch on his arm before turning to Lily. "Okay, you can take him up now."

Lily twitched his tail and lifted his partner in crime. Metalicana watched over his shoulder, and Gajeel grumbled, "I'm not a fucking invalid, shorty."

"Shut up and let him get you up there, you iron lug," she retorted.

Lucy came jogging back after a moment, hair swinging around her shoulders. She looked amused, and when Levy's eyes flickered back, it was to discover Natsu beaming after her, looking pleased. "What's that look about?"

"I promised him he could read a chapter of my book when we got home if he behaved himself," Lucy explained, looking pleased with herself. "He promised he'd be on his best behavior immediately. He won't be causing any issues for Igneel, and guaranteed he won't be fighting with Eberos."

Levy blinked. "That's all?"

"He's been pestering me about it," Lucy explained.

"Oh!" Levy laughed at that and then yelped when she found herself suddenly in the air. Metalicana had gently grabbed the back of her shirt and was lifting her, snickering under his breath as he deposited her gently beside Gajeel. She beamed at the dragon, eyeing the lack of grip until Gajeel rasped, "I've dug my hands in. You guys are gonna have to hold on to me if you need to."

"Got it," Levy replied, understanding flashing across her face. She scooted over, careful not to slip on his slick metallic hide. She seated herself beside him, and a moment later, Lily had deposited Lucy beside her. "Thanks, Lily," Levy told him.

He gave a slight smile and replied, "Make sure he gets better. Don't want to lose my partner."

"I will," Levy said seriously, her hazel eyes warm, and then she bid their friend farewell. He went to join Natsu and Eberos, who was seated a little bit away from the rest of them and was watching the dragon and the people atop of them with a look that gave none of his thoughts away.

Plotting something, more than likely.

Levy explained the lack of grip to Lucy, who smiled kindly at Gajeel and told him, "Let us know if your leg starts to feel funny or something. Metalicana can stop so we can check it over."

"Do not try to be brave, brat," Metalicana warned as he shifted, getting ready to reach for the animals they were bringing. He paused, and then suddenly parted his jaws and roared defiantly at the sky, the sound ringing so that they had to cover their ears again. Igneel rumbled, fighting the urge to roar back, a flash of irritation crossing his gaze.

Levy guessed it was a territorial thing.

Something along the lines of "I'm leaving for a bit, but don't you dare think about taking my things."

She could just imagine the temper tantrum that the iron dragon would throw if they did anything to try and take what he'd claimed as his.

Amused with the thought, Levy patiently waited as Metalicana rocked back a little and reached with his talons, catching the two animals they were bringing quickly and carefully. The horse shrieked and panicked, struggling to get away though unable to in Metalicana's strong grip. Salutem patiently bowed his antlered head to sniff at Metalicana before blinking gently at the dragon in understanding.

"Ready?" Lucy breathed. "The town was in shambles the last time we were there, Levy."

"Ready," Levy confirmed, glancing to Gajeel for his agreement. He gave a curt nod.

As if sensing this, Metalicana gave a final roar, and then suddenly surged up into the air, heavy metallic wings beating wildly to lift his massive body into the sky. Levy, used to it, gently grasped Gajeel, who simply tightened his own grip on his father's metallic body.

At this rate, they'd get to Oak Town in hours, she was relieved to realize. Especially when Metalicana began to suddenly rocket forward, the air buffeting their bodies and swinging their hair around their faces. She could distantly hear the horse screaming in terror, but she didn't notice, closing her eyes.

Levy grinned to herself.

She loved flying.

* * *

Hours later, Levy felt the change. Metalicana simply tilted his body just barely so that he turned and then began to descend, a rumble in his throat. When he got ready to land, Levy felt Gajeel suddenly shake one hand free of the iron and place it lightly on her back, and she understood why when the dragon reared back to land hind feet first. He was making sure she didn't suddenly fall backwards.

Metalicana suddenly rumbled, "I cannot set the stupid panicking one down, or it'll bolt."

"Salutem won't," Levy called back. "Put him down and then we'll get off."

Metalicana did as she told him to do, carefully placing Salutem in the sand. The deer bounded a few strides away, shook himself, and then lowered his antlered head to lip at the sand in search of plants.

Metalicana snorted, and then lowered himself as best as he could, still holding the horse awkwardly. He reached around with his massive jaws and lightly grabbed Lucy before she could protest. The blonde squawked as she was lifted and carefully deposited on the ground, and Levy was soon put beside her. Grimacing and stretching her legs, Levy readied herself to help Gajeel.

Gajeel was left to awkwardly slide down Metalicana's flank, and Lucy exchanged an unhappy look with Levy when he hit the ground and nearly collapsed, his eyes full of pain that he refused to show. He staggered closer, and then swore colorfully when his leg gave out anyways.

"Gajeel!" Levy cried, darting over. Metalicana lowered his head to watch, glowing red eye glinting anxiously. Lucy hurried over alongside her.

"I'm fine," he rasped. He shoved himself up from the sand, and Levy silently took up a position at his side, letting him lean on her even as he grumbled. The proud iron dragon slayer didn't appreciate needing help.

"I'll take the horse," Lucy decided, going to grab the animal. Metalicana turned his attention on this, making sure Lucy didn't get hurt as she did so.

Levy whistled for Salutem, and the deer came trotting over, shaking his head as he came over. She touched his cheek gratefully, and then ordered, "I'll ride with you, Gajeel. I want to make sure you don't fall off."

Gajeel snorted, looking a little amused. "I'm steering, shorty. I'm the one with the nose."

"Salutem's got a perfectly fine sense of direction," she retorted playfully.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He rubbed Salutem's nose with an almost affectionate look, and without hesitation, lifted her onto the deer's back. Salutem patiently stood there, free of a saddle or the strange bridle that Levy had used when she'd first ridden him out into the desert.

Levy waited until Gajeel had somehow hauled himself up behind her, and then turned her attention on Lucy, who'd used Metalicana's talon to climb onto the horse's back. The whites of its eyes showed as she directed it over to stand beside them.

"We should be back soon," Levy told the iron dragon. "I want to go back tonight if we can."

Metalicana snorted, clicking his jaws once. "If you bring supplies for Igneel's brat, I'll take them back."

"Thank you," Levy said gratefully. She smiled once at Metalicana, and then glanced at her friends. "We good to head to town?"

"Yep!" Lucy replied, flashing them a grin. Her eyes held a knowing look that had Levy flushing and looking elsewhere. It was hard enough to ignore Gajeel's proximity without Lucy teasing her about it the entire way there!"

"Is your leg alright for now?" Levy demanded, glancing up at Gajeel.

He snorted. "Woman, I fought a goddamn dragon. I ain't gonna break from a stupid leg wound."

"Okay, okay," she muttered, rolling her hazel eyes. Salutem pranced once, agile body bending in what Levy believed to be a single bow towards Metalicana, and then sprinted forward, taking off at a full out lope. Lucy encouraged the horse to follow, its hooves thudding loudly against the sand.

It seemed like forever - and felt like it, to be honest - before the town first began to appear before them. Levy grimaced, recognizing crumpled buildings and more. When they were close enough, Levy slowed Salutem, and Lucy slowed the horse to match their speed. Salutem snorted at it, as if amused with it, and then sniffed at the air.

"Eberos completely destroyed this place," Levy said quietly, and she felt Gajeel's grip on her tighten.

"You ain't taking him," Gajeel growled.

"We'll see," was all she said in response. Salutem picked his way down a sandy slope, heading for town. The horse slid down awkwardly after them, and Levy flushed, leaning back and pressing just barely against Gajeel's chest.

Not that she could turn any more red than the lobster-like color she already was.

At least she'd hopefully tan, right?

It took a good ten minutes before Salutem's cloven hooves struck the cobblestone street that they decided to enter on. They clattered as the animal caught his balance, and then paused to wait for Lucy.

"Ugh, civilization," Lucy moaned, though her eyes showed her worry over the empty streets.

And they were _very_ empty.

Gajeel listened intently, searching out sounds that would lead them to where people were. "Take a left at the next turn," he said gruffly, crimson eyes watching with care. Levy murmured the command to Salutem, who trotted forward and rounded the corner.

A scream startled the deer, and he bellowed in shock, skittering back. Gajeel's heavy weight slid, but his expert ability to keep balance kicked in and he swung himself so that he was upright and wouldn't fall. Levy clung to an antler with shock clear in her hazel eyes. Lucy's horse reared up, terrified, and she forced it to the ground, murmuring soothingly to it.

"What the fuck?" Gajeel barked out.

" _Lisanna?_ " Levy recognized, eyes widening as she stared down at the equally startled silver-haired woman, who had pressed a hand to her chest, her lips parted. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" she gasped, "You scared the life out of me, Levy - oh, Levy! Gajeel!" She glanced behind them, crying out in excitement. "And Lucy! You're all okay! A few of the others went out towards the ruins to try and find you, but they came back when they couldn't find anything. We were all worried that whatever had made that huge pit thing had eaten you!"

Levy giggled, saying firmly, "We're alright, we just got...carried away doing things. That's all, we're alright. We came across a linnorm though and it bit Gajeel. Is Wendy around?"

"Everyone but Master himself came to help," Lisanna told them, frowning. "The town was wrecked, though we aren't sure how-"

"New friend of ours," Levy chimed, "Kind of a bastard. Can you take us to her? Please? Lucy will explain everything, but Gajeel and I have to get him fixed up and go back to where Natsu is waiting."

"What she said," Gajeel grunted, rolling his eyes at the way she'd explained it.

Lisanna flashed them a smile, and then waved for them to follow. "This way," she ordered, "We set up base near the infirmaries that were set up. Sabertooth came in last night to help."

"Shit," Gajeel cursed under his breath in Levy's ears. "Gonna be harder to convince 'em to leave it be then Wendy. Ain't helping when my old man's making that goddamn racket."

Levy knew he meant the roaring that Metalicana had done, and pressed her lips together. He was right. But Lucy would do her best, she knew.

"Is Happy here?" Lucy said hopefully as they followed Lisanna through the destroyed streets. Levy felt a pang of guilt; she knew that they could very easily give up Eberos to the Council, call them here even to deal with him and see to it that he payed for the crimes he'd committed, but…

They needed him for the time being.

"Yeah, he was really worried about you and Natsu," Lisanna replied. "He went with Mira and Erza to look for you originally."

"Poor guy," Levy said sympathetically.

Lucy murmured her agreement and then lifted her gaze to watch as Lisanna jogged down the side of a road and then rounded a corner to what had once been the center of Oak Town. Now it was destroyed, filled with grieving and pained people.

"Do you think Kenai and Ell are alright?" she murmured nervously to Gajeel, her fingers tightening on the antler she gripped for balance.

"Bunny girl said they were," he grunted.

She agreed silently.

"Here we go," Lisanna called, and then shouted, "Mira! Look who I found!"

"We nearly ran you over," Gajeel told her gruffly, "We found you."

"Whatever you say," Lisanna teased as Mirajane poked her head out of tent that had been set up. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of them, and she cried, "You're alive!" She craned her head back inside, calling for a few select people.

And then she came jogging over. "We were so worried," she said anxiously, fretting over them as Levy slid from Salutem's back. Lucy shoved the reins of the horse at Lisanna after hopping off and came over to look up at Gajeel with a frown, not looking forward to the iron mage landing on them if his leg gave out again."

And then Gray came hurtling out of the tent with Wendy, Erza, and a shrieking Happy close behind. "Lucy!" he screamed, tackling her hard enough that the blonde hit the earth. Lucy laughed, hugging him, and Levy watched with a warm look as Erza threw herself to the ground to drag Lucy into a tight hug.

Gray grinned at them, and Wendy squealed, clapping excitedly. "You're okay!" she cheered. "We were frantic-"

"Levy!?"

"Jet!" Levy whirled to face her teammates, laughing as they collided with her. She found herself wrapped in two pairs of arms. "Droy!"

"We're sorry about our fight," Droy sobbed, refusing to release her.

"Really sorry," Jet agreed anxiously.

Levy hugged them just as tightly, relieved to see them. "I know. I'm sorry for worrying you both."

"Oi, enough with the happy greetings," Gajeel snapped, clearly agitated with how much the pair was touching Levy. Glaring at them, Gajeel sucked in an annoyed breath and then swung himself off of Salutem. The deer made a soft sound, lowering his head so that Gajeel could balance himself using Salutem's antlers.

Gajeel seemed grateful for the help, though he said nothing.

"Right!" Levy whirled to face Wendy, but couldn't get a word out to the sky mage before the familiar voice of Sting Eucliffe called cheerfully from where he'd come to see what all of the commotion was about, his blue eyes gleaming excitedly, "Where's Natsu?"

"Yeah, where's the pyro?" Gray questioned, looking to Lucy, who grimaced and took a deep breath before saying calmly, "Not here."

"Where is he then?" Erza asked, frowning.

"With Lily and another person a few days away from here," Levy explained carefully. "But that's not important. Wendy, we got attacked by a linnorm and it snagged Gajeel. Can you take a look at his leg?"

Wendy's lips parted and her eyes snapped wide. "Those are more rare than dragons!"

"Yeah, well we fought two of the fuckers," Gajeel grumbled, ignoring the glares he received from several women for his language.

"You must tell us!" Erza declared. "Lucy and Levy can tell us while your wound is seen to."

"You got lucky," Wendy said quietly, ducking down to investigate the damage there. "Linnorms aren't venomous. But it does look infected. Even my magic won't be enough to heal it entirely today...you'll need to stay off of your leg."

Gajeel's gaze flashed towards Levy, who shared a long look from him.

She was leaving tonight; she'd told him as much. That meant she'd be taking Eberos with her.

And the furious look that appeared told her he wasn't pleased.

"We have to go back starting tonight," he protested.

"You won't be," Wendy stated firmly, "Not if you want to heal up as quickly as possible."

"I'll have to take Eberos with me then," Levy murmured under her breath. Droy gave her a curious look, but she ignored him and then whirled around to look to Mirajane. "Can you gather some supplies that'll last a while for me? I need to take some back."

"Of course," she replied, and then waved for Jet and Droy. "You two, go ahead and do that. I know you want to stay with Levy, but we need to make sure everything she needs is ready. Do you want to take more people with you?"

 _Yes_.

"No," Levy lied. "I'm the only one going back."

"Like hell you're going without me," Gajeel snarled, furious.

But Levy only ignored him and grinned. "So. Where do we start?"

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait! Been busy with school things! Thanks to reviewers (AfterWriter, Typhlosion9, Dragonfan47, Tigerwoman188, SilverGhostKitsune, and jennloya1!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	17. The Promise of Tomorrow

**. Oculto .**

* * *

Trying to explain what had happened since she'd left the guildhall to do a job on her own took forever. For one, Gajeel kept trying to interrupt as Wendy tended to his leg, wanting to drag the short blue-haired woman back over so that he could somehow pin her until his leg was better, so that she didn't have to take Eberos. Why she couldn't take Natsu instead, he didn't understand, but it pissed him off that she refused to listen to what he had to say.

And everyone had so many questions!

Lucy, one of the smartest people Levy knew, had problems weaving together a story alongside her without giving away the dragons!

"So," commented Lyon as soon as Levy finished, his dark eyes curious as he watched her. Levy turned her attention on him, feeling a stab of guilt at what he said next. "You're working with the person who did...this?" He gestured around them, and she knew he meant Oak Town.

 _"Our three guilds were asked to tend to the town and clean it up, rebuild even,"_ Lisanna had whispered to her. _"We've been working together for a few days now."_

"Yes," Levy said, not bothering to lie. "Eberos is...he claims to be the dragon slayer of Acnologia. We don't know if that's true, but I think it is from the magic I've seen." Most of the mages in her guild shifted uneasily, not excited to hear this news.

"Why?" Lyon demanded.

"Because I think that he can actually deal with the linnorms pretty decently," Levy retorted. Her hazel eyes were sharp. "I think he's a good person at heart, honestly. It's not his fault that he's the way he is."

"You're fuckin' nuts," Gajeel declared. "That bastard's not right in the head, shrimp."

Levy ignored him - again - and then glanced over when Mirajane asked softly, "Levy, why don't you want anyone else going with you when you head back? Surely it would be better to have backup...I mean, two linnorms…"

Levy raised her chin proudly. "Natsu, Lily, Eberos, and I will have it handled, Mira. We'll be fine. We have a plan worked out, and we don't think it would be smart to bring more people in."

"That pyro is pretty good at distractions," Gray muttered, exchanging a look with Erza. They knew Natsu best next to only Happy - who had curled up against Lucy's shoulder - and Lucy herself. "But why wouldn't you take Happy and Lucy back? You're leaving Gajeel here, too."

"No she ain't," Gajeel growled.

Again, the blue-haired solid-script mage ignored him and instead said firmly, "Lucy wants to stay here and look for a child and his mother, both of which helped the five of us a great deal, particularly when Gajeel was trying to figure out where Lily and I were. And Natsu will focus better if he knows for certain she's safe."

They all looked to Lucy, who nodded, smiling faintly.

She agreed with what her friend was saying.

"I'm going with," Gajeel snapped, losing patience. Most glanced his way, and his crimson eyes burned into Levy's when she finally met his gaze. There was a fierceness she didn't expect there, just daring her to leave without him. "Whether my goddamn leg is entirely healed or not."

"Gajeel," Wendy began, "It wouldn't help them if you were limping along the way...it'd be really bad for everyone. You especially."

"I ain't staying behind," he retorted.

"How about this," Gray suggested, "You can take one of us along. Just to replace Gajeel's spot and so that there's more defenses against this Eberos guy. I mean, sure he's working with you now, but…"

Levy clenched her jaw, uncertain. It seemed like a good idea.

But the _dragons_ , damn it!

Gajeel looked her in the eye as she thought it over, narrowing his own, and Levy swallowed thickly before saying hesitantly, "Is Chelia here?"

"She's tending to the residents injured in the attack," Jura called from where he was sitting, his eyes not giving away any of the emotions he felt. "Would you like me to fetch her?"

"Yes," Levy decided, turning to Wendy. "I know other people need it, but if Chelia helped heal Gajeel's leg, too, would he be okay to leave with me tonight?"

All eyes turned on Wendy, who slowly nodded. "Yes. He would be able to. As long as he wasn't running for his life for a day or so, he'll be fine to use it."

Relief flooded Levy. She hadn't wanted to take Eberos. And his abilities to destroy the linnorms would be better used in distracting and destroying alongside Natsu. Beaming, she pleaded, "Please do that, Wendy. We won't be going forward until the day after tomorrow anyways-"

"Weren't Natsu and the others days away?"

Levy froze, gaze darting to Rogue. Her eyes widened fractionally at the sight of his thoughtful red eyes, and Lucy cut in hastily, "She meant the day after they get there, Rogue."

"Did she?" was all he muttered back, narrowing his eyes suspiciously before turning on his partner when Sting whined that he wanted to go and kick some linnorm ass.

Levy threw Lucy a grateful look, and the blonde smiled comfortingly.

Lucy had her back.

"Levy!"

Levy shrieked as she was sent toppling to the ground. Gajeel, used to dealing with the threat of Eberos for a while now, snapped his head back around to investigate what had happened, and then snickered. "Gihi!"

Levy winced, feeling a small set of arms wrapped around her. It took her a moment to figure it out, and then she beamed. "Kenai!"

Kenai grinned up at her after scrambling off, his eyes glinting with exhaustion, grief, pain, and more. "Hi! I'm glad you're back, Levy, we were worried about you!"

Ignoring all of the amusement of the people around her, Levy wrapped her arms around the boy tightly. She remembered what Lucy had told her; Kenai's father had been killed shortly after returning to Oak Town, in the attack.

Kenai returned it just as tightly.

Mira frowned and gently told him, "Kenai, we told you to stay with-"

"Mom didn't want me there," Kenai said bitterly. "She told me to go away. I heard Levy was back, so I came to say hi."

Levy felt a flash of surprise, remembering just how loving Ell had been towards everyone she'd interacted with. Choosing not to say anything about the matter, Levy climbed to her feet, urging Kenai over to Gajeel to say hello to him as well after he'd greeted Lucy. Kenai's eyes glowed excitedly as Gajeel rolled his eyes and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Mira made a sound of sympathy. "Life has become rough for him," she murmured softly. "We've been worried about him...I think I'm going to offer to bring him home with us if it keeps up like this."

Levy's heart ached for the poor kid. Stretching, she asked, "Alright. So I'm going to see to our supplies, make everything's in order, take care of Salutem - we'll leave the horse here - and then Gajeel and I will leave after Wendy and Chelia have fixed him up."

"Got it." Lucy bit her lip. "You'll watch over Natsu, right? You know how excitable that moron gets, and he forgets to be careful…"

"We'll watch him," Levy reassured.

Suddenly, a cry that pierced their ears filled the air, and they all paused to listen. Gajeel froze, and the other three dragon slayers went still, too, though their eyes lit up with eager excitement.

"Dragon?" Sting questioned after a moment.

Wendy's gaze filled with fear. "Acnologia?" she whispered, but Gajeel shook his head, soothing her fears with a gruffly said, "Ain't no evil bastard out there, Wendy."

"Is that seriously a dragon?" Gray questioned curiously. "We've been hearing distant sounds like that for a while now, but that one was pretty close…"

"I'll check it out with Sting," Rogue offered, but Levy cut him off, again spinning a tale of lies.

None of these people had seen or been around linnorms, so she used it to her advantage.

"Linnorms," she corrected in a lie. "Right, Gajeel? They share the cries of dragons...or something extremely similar." Her eyes burned into his. "They're still a long ways off, I think. Probably searching the area to make sure that everything is how it's supposed to be."

"What the shorty said," Gajeel said after a moment.

Rogue turned a piercing look on Gajeel, who looked elsewhere as Wendy bent back over his leg, her lips set in a disappointed pout. "I wanted it to be a dragon," she murmured. "Maybe they'd know where Grandeeney was…"

Levy bit her lip as Gajeel began to distract Kenai, who'd been about to say something, and her eyes went wide. Kenai knew that a dragon was around; Lucy had mentioned his excitement about them when they'd figured out the riddle. She exchanged a look with the blonde, who gave a quick nod.

Lucy would make sure to keep Kenai quiet about the matter.

Taking a deep breath of relief to have escaped that little ordeal momentarily, Levy promised to be back soon and ducked out of the place that Fairy Tail was using as a base. She made her way over to Salutem, who nuzzled her cheek with a damp nose and made a happy crooning sound when she scratched his chin.

"...I'm taking you back with us," she declared with a laugh when he shook his antlered head and snorted on her. "After all of this is over." She ran her fingers over his nose, smiling to herself sadly. She was relieved that Gajeel was able to heal fast enough to come with her, even if it used up valuable magic that innocent people probably needed more.

Eberos frightened her. She wasn't afraid to admit it. He really did. She doubted he meant to frighten them as much as he did - she was sure he was just behaving what was normal-like for him - but at the same time...something told her that he acted dark for the sheer hell of it.

Something told her he _liked_ seeing their fear when they thought he was going to do something to them.

Patting Salutem's neck one final time, Levy squared her shoulders.

"Let's get you taken care of so I can check on how Jet and Droy are doing in regards to the supplies…" The solid-script mage lowered her voice. "Metalicana's waiting, after all."

* * *

Gajeel was crabby by the time Levy came back. She couldn't blame him though. He was surrounded by their worried nakama, all asking question after question without letting him catch a break. Lucy had managed to slip away with Kenai - someone told her that the blonde wanted to check on other people, too.

"Gajeel," Levy said, cutting off a question that a random Lamia Scale member had been about to ask. Levy received a dirty look for the interruption, but the blue-haired woman didn't care. She planted her hands on her hips as Gajeel looked her way. "Salutem's ready. He's got a sled full of supplies we'll have to pull." She smiled at her two teammates, who were exchanging worried looks with one another. "They got us plenty."

Gajeel grunted. "Good. The way Salamander eats, we'll be lucky if it lasts us a day." He swung himself to his feet with care, not putting too much weight on his leg. Wendy had warned him to be a bit more careful than usual for at least the rest of the day. Chelia had agreed with her. "We ready to go then?"

"Yeah." Levy swallowed thickly, thinking of how badly this could go if there were somehow more than the two linnorms they'd originally come up with. She turned to their nakama, who all looked a bit reluctant to let them go like this.

"Levy," Mira said after a moment, biting her lip. "Maybe one of us _should_ go with you…"

"No," Levy said firmly, "It's a bad idea, believe me. We're having enough trouble dealing with Eberos and the linnorms without having to explain the presence of other people when we already have a plan." She smiled kindly at the silver-haired barmaid. "Thanks for your guys' concern though. We'll be careful, I - oof!"

"Return safe," Lucy whispered into her ear, tightly hugging her. Lucy pulled back, smiling at her. Levy wondered where the hell she'd come from. "You know who better make sure you're safe, or I'll rip his tail off."

To the rest of the guild, they sounded as if they were discussing Lily.

But Levy knew better.

And so did Gajeel.

Lucy was threatening Metalicana - and quite possibly Igneel.

"I'll make sure Natsu comes back safe and sound," Levy told her, and then yelped when she was tackled by Jet and Droy. Both looked furious with something and she returned the hugs they gave her.

"Let us come, Levy," Jet pleaded.

"Yeah, we'll help," Droy agreed.

Levy smiled gently, pulling back after a moment. She stepped over to Gajeel's side, gently poking the iron dragon slayer's arm. "Don't worry, guys," she said fiercely, her eyes burning with determination. "I'll be fine. I've got Gajeel with me."

"Gihi!" Gajeel snickered, resting his elbow on her head. She grunted under his weight as he leaned heavily on her. "Not like I'd let the shrimp just up and keel over."

Mirajane pressed her lips together, unhappy with the fact that they were refusing help. She could tell them that Makarov had put her in a temporary guildmaster status and order that they take at least Erza with them…

But something told her not to.

So she smiled and waved. "Please, be careful and come back safely."

"We will," Levy told her firmly, turning away. "Come on, Gajeel, Salutem's outside, and Natsu's gotta be getting tired of Eberos. I'll be surprised if Lily hasn't clobbered them both by the time we get back…"

Lucy watched them leave, clutching Happy to her chest.

Her grip tightened worriedly, and Happy looked up at her anxiously. "Lucy?"

She only smiled, watching as Gajeel hoisted Levy onto Salutem's back before swinging up himself, taking control since he wasn't hurt this time. "They'll be fine," she decided, turning to go back inside.

Gajeel would _never_ let Levy get hurt.

And if he did…

He knew what certain death awaited.

* * *

"Should reach that old iron bastard soon," Gajeel noted quite some time later, glancing down at the blue-haired woman in his arms. She wore a look of determination and excitement; she looked forward to figuring out what was hidden in the temple that the linnorms defended.

"Good," Levy murmured. "I'm hoping he didn't decide we weren't coming back."

"I'm hopin' the fuker-" He grunted when she elbowed him sharply. "I'm hopin' he doesn't blast us when we come out of nowhere."

Levy settled down with a thoughtful look. The sun was almost gone, she noted. That wasn't good, but they would be fine, even if something came out of the sand and wanted a fight.

Out of nowhere, Salutem suddenly began to slow, his breath coming sharply as he took in various scents. He bellowed a happy sound and then lunged forward without warning. Levy gasped, relieved that Gajeel's arms were on either side of her to make sure she didn't fall. He grumbled about the animal, even as it sprinted down a sandy hill.

She frowned when she didn't see anything, even as Salutem slowed to a halt, turning on his hooves and shaking his antlered head with care. "Where's-"

Something red glinted in the sands, blinking slowly, and she gawked without hesitation as Metalicana suddenly lifted his head. Sand came off of him in sheets as he stood, shaking it off, and she realized that the sandy hill had been the dragon's body covered in the grainy substance.

"Gihi," the dragon cackled, lowering his massive head to look at them. "Thought you mages were nosy and hid myself so if some others came lookin', I wouldn't be here."

Levy's head snapped over her shoulder to look at Gajeel. "Did you know he was there?"

Gajeel shrugged. "Guessed from the smell of iron. He can hide his magic, but not that."

Metalicana clicked his jaws, watching them for a moment longer before snickering. Levy eyed him warily until he taunted, "You brats finally decided to stop dancin' around? Have a bet goin' with the fire breathing freak over who's gonna have hatchlings first. You brats or his brat and the golden one."

Levy's jaw dropped and Gajeel glowered. "Shut up, you old metallic piece of trash metal! That's none of your stupid business!"

Metalicana's large tail swept through the sand. "Plenty of my business, stupid. I wanna know my future daughter-in-law."

Levy flushed bright red, pretending she didn't acknowledge the fact that she actually wouldn't mind having the iron dragon for a parent when she no longer had parents of her own. She was quite fond of Metalicana now a days, she was starting to realize.

Ignoring the fish-like look on Gajeel's face as he gaped and gawked at the iron dragon, she cleared her throat and said, "Metalicana, can we get going please? No one's able to win a bet just yet, I'm afraid, but Natsu's probably ready to light Eberos on fire at this point."

"More like Eberos' is gonna want to rip him apart," Gajeel muttered as he slid from Salutem's back. Salutem shifted to keep his balance, and patiently waited as the iron mage pulled Levy down, too, his fingers gentle on her waist. Together, they unhitched the massive deer, and Levy stroked his nose as Gajeel went to give their packaged supplies to Metalicana. "Go back to Oak Town," she ordered Salutem. "Hopefully we'll be back, okay?"

He made a low crooning sound and nudged her gently before dancing away. Levy watched him bound off, looking happy to be running around. Levy pouted and then went to help her companion.

When all of the supplies was secured in Metalicana's talons, the iron dragon lowered his head. "Come here, little one, there ain't no way ya can climb up there like the brat."

Levy flushed. "I could," she protested, planting her hands on her hips and glaring up at him. She paused. "I think I could, anyways. If I really, really wanted to."

"What are ya, a kid?" Gajeel huffed, ruffling her already wild blue hair and screwing up the headband she'd put in before they'd left. She glared at him and then yelped when she was lifted by the dragon.

By the time Gajeel reached his back, Levy had situated herself. "Least Lucy will be safe, right?" She looked nervous now, not exactly looking forward to going back around Eberos again.

His crimson eyes narrowed as he told her, "Yeah. Let's go kick these things' asses."

When they were ready, Metalicana's heavy body rocked backwards onto his haunches. He cracked his jaws open to roar like he usually did, and then thought better of it before simply making a loud rumbling growl and launching himself into the sky. His large body cast a massive shadow over the ground, and Levy found herself amazed once again by the sheer size of the dragon.

She smirked.

She was allowed to see and know him when many of the others couldn't.

She _did_ feel a little guilty that Wendy couldn't though.

Sensing her distraction, Gajeel gently poked her side and she squealed, slapping a hand over his to shove it away. "Gajeel!" she hissed, earning a cackle from her nakama. He settled down for the time being, and Levy did the same, smiling as a breeze washed over her face - until a thought crossed her mind.

What would happen when this was over and she and Gajeel were forced to say goodbye to the iron dragon Metalicana?

* * *

It seemed like ages before lazy crimson eyes spotted the shadow in the distance. Eberos squinted in the direction, seeing nearly nothing in the darkness of the night while Natsu snored away and Lily cuddled under his arm. Igneel kept watch, not trusting him.

Eberos didn't care.

He didn't want their trust anyways. It wasn't like he wasn't going to go through with his plans at a later time. They were useful for the moment, and he wanted to use them to get rid of the linnorms and figure out what was in the temple so that he could take it - and Levy - for himself.

Not that Levy would be kept alive.

He wanted to watch her blood run along the sand and see what it tasted like…

Forcing himself to focus, Eberos didn't bother to wake the people he'd been left with. He watched the Fire Dragon King lift his head to study the night sky, noting the shadow, too, and a rumble of warning left his throat.

Eberos just barely caught the sound that should have been too far pitched for him to be able to hear. It was a request, he realized, narrowing his eyes. Demanding to know if it was Metalicana.

Metalicana's answer was a loud rumble like thunder as he began to descend, finally awakening Natsu when he hit the ground, his taloned feet making the sandy earth shake and tremble beneath them. Igneel snorted as sand flew.

"They're back!" Natsu cried, shooting to his feet, and Lily zipped up to go and see who'd returned, looking worried.

Eberos prayed that Gajeel hadn't returned, but his hope fell away when the iron mage suddenly threw himself from Metalicana's back and stretched his arms above his head, giving Natsu and Eberos a triumphant look. "Sorry to disappoint you two bastards, but I'm good as new."

"You're going to strain your leg, Wendy and Chelia said to rest it," Levy scolded as Lily dropped her beside him before falling into her arms with a purr. She hugged him, exchanging a smile with the Exceed.

"Who did you meet?" Natsu asked curiously as he scampered over, and Igneel became suspicious.

"Just how many people might be aware of a dragon?" the dragon snapped.

Levy grimaced. "Sabertooth, Fairy Tail, and Lamia Scale were all there and helping out. Only the other dragon slayers were truly suspicious, but we tricked them into thinking we'd come across a wyvern at some point and that the weird roars belonged to linnorms. Don't worry, you guys are safe for now."

Igneel didn't look convinced, and Metalicana's irritably clicked his jaws at the Fire Dragon King, resting his head on the sands between Levy and Gajeel with a dark look in his gaze. "The brats wouldn't lie, stupid."

"Yeah!" Natsu reassured his father. "Gajeel can be kind of stupid, but Levy rarely ever lies. The only time she's lied is when it concerns the guild being in danger, like she did to our nakama. How was Happy?" he asked eagerly. "Did you see him?"

"He's with Lucy," she promised. "He was very relieved to know that you're alright. Eberos, they're aware of you. So don't try anything," she warned.

The dark-haired man curled a lip and then smirked. "No promises," he purred back, red eyes glinting almost playfully.

He couldn't wait to get his claws on Levy and rip her to shreds. He was more than curious as to how her blood would taste, how her flesh would rip beneath his teeth-

"So...tomorrow then," she said, cutting off his thoughts, and he focused on her. The way her hazel eyes filled with determination stirred something warm in his gut, and he couldn't wait to get a move on, because now that Gajeel was still here, he had his own plans.

"Tomorrow," Natsu agreed, and Gajeel gave a curt nod, watching Eberos carefully.

"Tomorrow," Eberos echoed with a mocking smirk at the other dragon slayer.

Definitely tomorrow.

* * *

 _Sorry about the later in the day update! Was busy this weekend!_

 _To SmileyFace207, who asked about Grandeeney...sadly, she will not be. Sorry!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Dragonfan47, CoSmO333, SmileyFace207, SilverGhostKitsune, MissOtak1, sassykitten1701, Tigerwoman188, AfterWriter, and Typhlosion8!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	18. The Sand of an Hourglass

**. Oculto .**

* * *

The next morning found everyone up bright and early. Levy kept close to Lily as she dished out food for everyone to eat, grateful they had a bit more. Their nakama had taken their days of travel into consideration, not knowing that it wouldn't take them as long as they'd said to get back.

She didn't seem to notice Eberos watching her every move.

In fact, no one, not even Gajeel, did.

They were too busy worrying about the plan and the linnorms.

"So here's what'll happen," Levy was saying as she handed Natsu his plate of food, using her magic to create some fire for him, too. He gave her a grateful look and began to quickly slurp down his meal. "We were originally going to bring Salutem back, but we sent him back to Oak Town. They'll appreciate him there more, I think. So Gajeel and I will set out with Metalicana. Metalicana will leave us near the temple and get the linnorm's attentions, luring them back here, where Igneel, Eberos, and Natsu - and you, Lily - will deal with them alongside Metalicana. When Gajeel and I are done, Gajeel will use his dragon slaying magic to call Metalicana back to us and we'll have to rush out of there before the linnorms realize what's happened."

"Look at the cute little girl being all in charge," Eberos purred as she warily pushed some food into his hands. "I could eat you up, Miss Levy - oof!"

Gajeel withdrew the limb that he'd turned to iron and slammed into his head, shaking it out with a glare in his crimson eyes. "Don't bother her, or I'll rip your head off."

A rumbling growl was heard as Metalicana rose to his full height behind his son, red eye glowing furiously. Levy rolled her eyes at their overprotectiveness and scolded, "Don't say things like that, Eberos, it only irritates them," before moving on to give Gajeel some iron with his breakfast.

He scowled, not pleased with how she was trying to make sure he didn't get on everyone's bad side.

He'd murdered people for fun.

There was only one side for him, and it wasn't the good one.

Eberos happily munched down on his breakfast, watching Levy with a piercing gaze as she settled down between Gajeel and Lily, her own food in hand. "Does anyone have any questions before we get moving?"

"Yeah," Metalicana grunted. "Where's our breakfast?"

Levy nearly dropped her plate in horror, but Igneel snickered and reassured, "Don't worry, little one, we don't eat quite as often as the rest of you mortal creatures. Metalicana's meal can be found in the cave, and I, myself, can catch something at a later time."

Gajeel elbowed her gently. "Stop freakin' out so much, shrimp."

"Don't call me shrimp," Levy muttered, shoving a bite of food in her mouth and glaring at him.

Amused with how fond of each other they were yet pretended not to be, Eberos narrowed his eyes. There were plenty of ways he could get them separated while they were away… The dragons didn't really need him around to deal with a linnorm, and they had the fire mage.

So if he sneaked away not long after they left…

He'd be good. He had his own way of traveling quickly anyways.

Eberos nodded to himself, watching Levy and Gajeel as he sipped at some water he'd been given. A smirk danced along his lips as he drank. He could do this. The next step after getting away from the freaks before him and following them would be to separate them. In a temple that wasn't familiar - so long as the size cooperated with his plans - it'd be easy.

And if he could get Levy far enough out into the desert, where Gajeel couldn't follow and the dragons flew too high to see anything…

It just might work, actually.

Pleased with his decisions, Eberos settled down with a snicker, his laughter coming under his breath. Gajeel's crimson gaze darted to him and studied him suspiciously; Eberos met his gaze with a challenging smile, baring his teeth.

 _Just try and stop me._

He'd never been able to go through with a challenge like this and it excited him, lit his blood on fire like he expected some people described actually nice activities did.

His gut tumbled within him. Eberos wanted to get a move on; he was tired of sitting around and waiting and planning. He'd started the game, and he was damn ready to get going with the actual playing of it.

When everyone was done eating, Levy hopped to her feet, hazel eyes blazing.

"Alright," she said darkly. All eyes turned on her, all serious. "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

Levy's knuckles were white as they clutched the cloak she'd wrapped around herself to protect her from the sun. She'd just slid from Metalicana's back alongside an impatient Gajeel, and the iron dragon was already getting ready to take back off,

"I'll come back at nightfall, brats," he grunted, red eyes narrowed. "Don't get yourselves killed. Protect the little one, boy."

Gajeel bared his teeth. "Shut up, you old cranky piece of junk metal."

Yet Levy could sense the anxious feeling that ran between them; they worried about one another, even if they didn't express the concern.

The linnorms didn't make an appearance, but Levy felt the sands shift beneath their feet. Her body tensed, and Gajeel suddenly swore as he dragged her forward at a dead run. "Go!" he ordered.

A second later, a massive open mouth slammed shut over the sand they'd been standing in. Metalicana rumbled irritably and then roared at the linnorms, clicking his jaws and rattling his heavy plating to make loud noises.

The first of the pair were caught by his talons across the face and it screamed back before lunging. The second linnorm came to team up and within seconds, Metalicana was off the ground, a massive serpent-like body flying through the air to try and catch him. As the linnorm fell, it turned its front half downward and dived into the sand.

Gajeel knelt when they were a safe distance away, looking like Scorpio had as he plunged his fingers into the sand. His flesh rippled into iron along his hands and arms as he felt the vibrations of the sand. "We're good," he said finally. "The old man got 'em away."

Relaxing, Levy turned her gaze on the temple.

It was massive. It was old, broken down by time and weather and who the hell knew what else, with great white pillars and sand dunes that crossed over the front of it and possibly inside. Levy couldn't see the inside of it from where she stood; it was too dark, and she sullenly wished that Natsu was there to become a human torch.

At least Gajeel was there, she thought, nervously grabbing his shirt. He glanced at her curiously, his pierced brows drawing downward before he focused on the temple itself. "C'mon, shrimp, we ain't gonna get anywhere by doing nothing," he told her, and then started forward. She hurried after him, glancing over her shoulder in hopes of seeing Metalicana and the linnorms, but they were already long gone.

"I hope Lily will be okay," she murmured as they walked up a set of stairs that led into the temple. Levy lowered the hood of her cloak as they stepped inside, and his voice echoed when he replied.

"He'll be fine. My cat's badass, remember?" Gajeel studied the space around them, grimacing at the darkness. Levy stepped a few steps forward, lifting her hand.

"Solid-script," she said softly, "Light."

The area around them lit up as the word appeared in her hand, glowing brightly. Gajeel eyed it curiously, but then turned his grouchy eyes elsewhere. There was plenty to look at; the walls around them glinted softly in the harsh light, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he heard something whisper through the air.

Something occurred to him suddenly, and he let out a rumbling growl of warning that was quite similar to his father's. While they weren't all too common, there were spirits and ghosts that sometimes came around and caused troubles. A place like this would hold powerful spirits.

"Gajeel, stop being so loud," Levy hissed, smacking his arm and venturing further into the temple. Her hazel eyes darted this way and that, searching the darkness for danger and whatever might be hidden within it.

He grunted in response, dropping the sound, but kept a sharp ear out for anything out of the ordinary.

He'd prefer it if his shrimp could sleep for the next few months.

Because those bastards were _nasty_ ; they were cruel and heartless, even less so than those of Phantom Lord had been. Maybe even worse than the bastard that had decided to tag along on their adventure.

"Look at this!" Levy suddenly called quietly, and he blinked, realizing she'd gotten much further away than he'd have liked. Grumbling about it, Gajeel moved closer, keeping next to her now as he peered down at what she'd pointed out.

"Huh," he muttered, frowning at the trap door. "We gonna go down or not? Your job; you choose, woman."

Levy squinted at it in thought, looking around the room one more time, and then shrugged, reaching to open it. "Why not? We've come this far, right?" She pried the door open with his help - it was heavy, even for him - and then stepped aside when he simply hopped down, not hesitating to drop without making sure there was still a floor first.

"Shit," he hissed, feet and ankles throbbing when he hit the ground quite a ways down. He glanced up, seeing Levy's anxious face highlighted by the light she cradled. "C'mon, drop down. I'll catch ya."

"Okay."

He felt a flash of pride when she didn't hesitate to drop through the hole. He caught her with ease, and she winced at the harshness of falling so far and landing in someone's arms, but patted his chest gratefully. He was simply glad that she trusted him enough to throw herself into the darkness beneath her without so much as hesitation just because he'd told her he'd catch her.

Levy held her light up for them to see - and then leaped back with a scream of fear.

Despite the jump he felt in his chest, Gajeel snorted in amusement and poked at the statue before them. It was some kind of strange guardian creature that had been carved into the material, and he gave Levy a look. "Really? You'll fall into pitch black but a statue scares the hell out of you?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up."

They picked their way around the statue and Levy held the light up as best as she could, glancing around.

Past the pair of statues that they'd slid between was a long corridor. They exchanged a look, and then simply followed it, their footsteps echoing like they were in a cave. Gajeel grunted when Levy bumped into him and ruffled her hair comfortingly in his gruff way before focusing again.

She merely pouted, annoyed that he'd done so.

When they reached the end of the corridor, it split off into two more. "Well, shoot," Levy muttered, making a face. "We can't take both of them...should we split up? You could take one and I could-"

"Ain't no way we're splittin' up in here, shrimp," Gajeel told her, rolling his eyes. "One, you have light and I don't, and two, we don't know what the fuck is down here. Things that are worse than dragons _do_ exist, ya know. For all we know, there could be a goddamn demon down here."

Levy shuddered at the thought; she'd heard plenty of stories on just how brutal a demon could be. They were legends, horrible creatures that relished in agonizing pain and sheer terror. "Right," she muttered, squinting. "So which way do we go?" She answered her own question, before Gajeel could get a word in. "In stories they always follow the right wall, particularly in mazes, so that they can find their way back. So should we try that way?"

"Sure," he muttered, "Where ever ya wanna go, I'll follow."

She smiled warmly, and he nudged her forward gently.

Together, they headed down the path, their gaze never wavering as they searched for danger. But nothing popped out of nowhere at them. Nothing tried to attack, nothing moved oddly.

Nothing did _anything_.

After a while, they reached the edge of the hallway, where a doorway stood. Levy pushed it open carefully and then peeked inside with Gajeel close behind. "...a tomb," she murmured. "Look, there's the monument that someone carved for the dead person. They must have been much loved and wealthy by the looks of it."

The marble that surrounded where the person must have been buried was carved into beautiful shapes, engraved with pictures of what must have been stories. They were gorgeous, and Levy found herself captivated by them.

"Hey, shorty, look at this."

Levy glanced over, curious, and she followed his gaze to the wall beside him. Gajeel had gently touched the stone there, not daring to press too hard in case it crumbled. "Can you read this?" he demanded as she drew close.

Levy studied the ancient writing quietly. "It's a story," she murmured, "More of myth or legend, actually. It's about some gallant hero that fell in battle. He set out to destroy a dragon, but was unsuccessful. Instead, the hero disappeared. He wasn't seen from again. This is an honorary grave site."

"Hm...was wondering where this went."

They whirled around to discover none other than Eberos standing there, a huge grin on his face, as if he was ridiculously excited to be there. Levy's lips parted in horror, and Gajeel immediately slid an arm in front of her, a rumbling sound echoing deep in his throat. "You're not supposed to be here, you were helping-"

"Eh, do you think they really needed me there? They got the linnorms handled." Eberos peered around him, sharp shadows crossing his face, cast by the bright light Levy had. "Honestly, I think we should be impressed. They did a good job of keeping it intact."

Gajeel watched him closely. "You know this place?"

"Well, since I was supposed to be buried in here...yeah. I do." Eberos narrowed his eyes at the writing they'd been studying. "It's funny how old it looks. I don't remember it being that long." Shrugging to himself, he cackled at them. "Anyways, did you really think I'd just stay behind and screw around with linnorms?" He flashed his teeth. "Since when did you expect me to become a good guy? I've been waiting to see the sands run with your blood since I figured out you guys were hanging around!"

Levy tensed,and Gajeel clenched his jaw, his sharp crimson eyes never leaving the other man's form as he strode closer. The blue-haired girl behind him took a step away, her back pressing against the wall that held such delicate writings.

Eberos threw his head back and laughed at their looks. "Honestly? Did you never once think that I'd turn on you? Idiots, all of you. Mind you, everyone for the most part seemed to think I would...oh, well." His eyes shone. "They won't be hearing from either of you again."

Without a moment of hesitation, Eberos snapped his head back and unleashed a blow of magic upon the roof of the temple. Levy shrieked, and Gajeel swore, throwing himself back when it caved in, filling the room with sand. Within seconds, she found herself struggling to breathe, the sand rising up to her chest, while Gajeel found himself unable to move, the sand too heavy to move his legs through.

Expertly, even as more sand spilled in, Eberos sprang lightly on top of it. It was like an hourglass, the room filling with more and more with each passing moment, and Levy cried out when she found herself being dragged from the sand by a hand that fisted in her hair. Her eyes flashed with fear, and Gajeel lunged, arm turning into an iron pillar that snapped towards Eberos.

Eberos ducked to avoid it as Gajeel hauled himself onto the sand, ignoring the way that it flooded over his feet and threatened to trap them.

Levy used a spell, her solid-script magic creating a burning fire that seared at Eberos' fingers, but he merely tightened his grip and shook her lightly, laughing hysterically. "Ooh, fire, how scary!" he mocked.

Gajeel's eyes filled with rage and he launched himself at Eberos, who released Levy so that he could meet Gajeel's blow with ease, rolling down the slope of sand behind him. Levy scrambled on her hands and knees to peer over the edge, where they were each scrabbling to get the upper hand.

"Gajeel," Levy cried worriedly, sliding down the slope herself.

Before she could get anywhere close however, there was a piercing shriek and then the entire wall exploded. Levy screamed in fear as a large eye flew past her. _Linnorm_! she screeched wordlessly, her mouth filling with sand.

How had they come back so quickly?!

Her heart pounding, she clawed her way up through the sand and gasped for breath when she found the surface. Her eyes burned with pain when she realized that the space she'd found was quickly fading in. Pain sliced through her leg when something cut it, a sharp scale or something similar catching it. She felt a blast of magic nearby, a panicked shriek, and then silence.

"Gajeel!" she wailed again, struggling to hoist herself out of the endless amounts of sand.

He was nowhere to be found, and Levy felt a sob leave her lips.

She was the one who'd insisted that Eberos had joined them, and look what had happened.

This was her fault, all her fault!

A massive mouth gaped open, rows of sharp teeth filled her vision, and Levy's eyes flew wide, and then screwed shut in acceptance.

She could feel the sand rising around her, covering her shoulders as it bared down on her, and then it was gone, slinking further into the sands. Levy couldn't breathe, her eyes remaining shut to shut out the sand that tried to fill them a moment later.

Her lungs burned before long, and her struggling weakened. All thoughts of her missing companion and trying to escape faded away as she felt something brush against her body. Once, it would have sparked fear in her heart. Now...nothing.

Before long, she knew nothing but darkness.

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit," Gajeel chanted, struggling to desperately find Levy amongst the sand that had filled the area. It had finally stopped trickling into the room, and he found himself trapped beneath the temple without any escape, the sand halfway up his chest. Eberos was long gone, plucked away like a piece of meat and dragged into the sands by the linnorm. Gajeel could feel shifting far beneath him, telling him that the monstrous creature was still around.

He didn't dare raise his voice to call for Levy.

It was hard to remain calm, though, his heart pounding away and his breath coming in desperate heaves. He was finding it difficult to breathe.

He couldn't use his iron magic to protect him here, not when he didn't know where the linnorm was hiding, or where Levy was. He couldn't risk getting her hurt.

But if she remained trapped for too long...she'd suffocate, which wasn't much better.

As if reading his desperation, the temple above him trembled. Gajeel admitted that he was scared of the trembling, well aware of the fact that more sand could fill where he was and cut off any chance whatsoever of ever finding Levy and getting both of them out.

"Damn it," he hissed.

And then the roof above exploded. Sand poured in and Gajeel swore colorfully, struggling to free himself - just as he was plucked from the sand with ease. He snarled viciously, expecting it to be the linnorm, but he was startled when he discovered it to be none other than the iron dragon Metalicana, his jaws stained red with blood. "Stop moving so much, brat," he gritted out. "Or I'll let ya drown in sand."

"Hey, metal freak!" Natsu laughed as Metalicana moved over to where Igneel guarded his own son and Lily. He dropped Gajeel, and then immediately turned away, plunging his head into the sand like some kind of bird, searching through the sand for what Gajeel hoped was Levy. "The linnorms are dead-"

"There was a third," Gajeel rasped, shaking sand from his hair and spitting it out of his mouth.

Never again would he enter a desert.

 _Never_.

"There was?" Lily's fur fluffed up in alarm, and his eyes immediately searched the sands, watching carefully for movement. Gajeel was merely happy to see that his cat was alright and patted his head before shoving himself to his feet. He licked the blood away from his split lip, an injury left from Eberos.

Sheer rage filled him at the reminder.

Eberos was still hidden in the sands, too.

But he wasn't about to try and rescue the murderous bastard.

Igneel snorted smoke when Gajeel prepared to go and help Metalicana, stopping him with a piercing look. "Metalicana will find her. You will be of no use. His ability to sense magic out does the rest of us. Even me."

"She's going to suffocate if we don't get her out soon," Gajeel snarled.

Natsu huffed. "Gajeel, pay attention." He pointed, and Gajeel looked over to discover Metalicana withdrawing from the sand, which showered to the ground in sheets. He held something delicately in his jaws, resting lightly among his teeth without a single one nicking it.

Gajeel's sharp eyes could see the blue color of Levy's hair from where he stood and froze as Metalicana trudged through the sand to lower his head. He rested his chin on the sand, and between the pair of them, Natsu and Gajeel had quickly taken her, lying her on the sand.

"Wendy," Natsu rasped, checking her pulse as Gajeel rested his ear over her chest to listen for a heartbeat. "We should have brought Wendy."

The dragons only exchanged guilty looks.

"She's not breathing!" Gajeel snapped back, checking her mouth almost immediately. "Lily, your paws-"

He darted over, tail lashing and stood beside the solid-script mage's head. He went to work on using his small paws to scoop sand out of her mouth as best as he could, reaching as far as he could. "Try to get her to vomit, see if that'll help clear it-"

"What good would that do?" Natsu snapped, "She can't breathe! That's something completely different! If she's inhaled the sand-"

"Move!" Gajeel snapped, heart pounding as he created an iron rod, testing its flexibility. With great care, he pushed it into Levy's mouth, fingers gently maneuvering it to see if he could clear the sand that way. She didn't flinch, her pale skin nearly the color of snow. "C'mon, shorty, ya can't die this way...still got a hell of a long life ahead of ya…"

There was silence as Gajeel worked carefully.

Suddenly, she jerked. She coughed, sputtering, retching, and Gajeel ordered Natsu to pin her upper half down. The dragons hovered anxiously as he began to carefully withdraw the rod, not wanting to hurt her. When he was done, he tossed it over his shoulder, and Natsu helped her sit up. She wheezed, eyes snapping wide. They were dazed, but full of panic as she coughed and retched, trying to clear her lungs.

"Water," Natsu told Lily, and he darted to where he'd put their bags, bringing the bottle over. "Here, Levy," Natsu muttered as Gajeel sat back, his hands over his eyes, a relieved grin stretching over his face. Natsu ignored him, knowing what to do after having Wendy with him so often. He rubbed circles on her shoulders and back, using his magic to warm his hand, and pressed the bottle to her lips.

Levy drank for a moment, and then shoved it away. She spat the water back out, trying to get the sand out. "Gajeel-" she croaked.

"I'm here, shrimp," Gajeel promised, and Lily squinted at him when he heard his voice quiver suspiciously. "Don't worry."

She blinked, and then burst into relieved tears, ragged gasps escaping her throat hoarsely. "Oh, good," she whimpered. "I'm so glad. I...I thought…"

Gajeel rested a hand gently on her head. "We're fine, Levy," he promised. "Don't worry. We're safe now." Normally, he wouldn't worry over his own safety, but Levy's panic was for him, and he wanted to calm her as quickly as possible.

Metalicana gave a rumbling purr-like sound, and lowered his head so that he could lightly nudge her. "Come, little one," he murmured, "Let's leave this area so that you may rest."

No one disagreed.

* * *

 _I'm back! Sorry about missing an update and thank for all of the "get well" wishes! I really appreciate it! Thanks, guys!_

 _Eberos (my lovely psycho) is an ass._

 _Thanks to reviewers (AfterWriter, Tigerwoman188, kmmcm, Dragonfan47, random-animegurl, Future Fairy Godmother, LA Artemis, Timber Wolf of Purity, CoSmO333, Leahcar-Soutaichou, SilverGhostKitsune, Guest #1, rita1906, DragonQ, SmileyFace207, and JamestheChameleon!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	19. The Dragons' Farewell

**. Oculto .**

* * *

Eventually, the dragons took their children, Levy, and Lily back to the place that they'd discovered Igneel. Levy slept the majority of the way there, exhausted after the ordeal, and Gajeel made sure that she didn't slip off of Metalicana's slippery hide as he flew. When they'd arrived, he'd let Metalicana lower the sleepy woman rather than taking her himself, and Lily brought him down with a worried look.

"I think she'll be okay," Lily said anxiously as he curled up against Levy. The blue-haired mage simply chose to curl up where she'd been set in the sand with her bloodied leg wound turned to the sky, closing her eyes immediately.

A whine of protest left her when Natsu nudged her with a sandaled foot. "C'mon, Levy, ya can't stay here. We're gonna need to get out of the way so the dragons can get comfortable."

"I'll get her," Gajeel said gruffly, ducking down to scoop her up. She opened a sleepy eye to glare at him, Lily cradled in her arms. But she said nothing as he strode towards where their old carefully made fire rested. Natsu followed behind them, tugging the scarf away from his mouth, and Gajeel gave him a pointed look when he dropped to the ground, Levy still pressed against him.

"I'm going, I'm going," he growled, spitting a fireball at the wood that still remained.

Levy was still his nakama, even if she wasn't Lucy or Happy, and he wanted to make sure she was alright, too.

Metalicana's massive head lowered to study them with a glowing red eye, and Levy smiled faintly, reaching out to rest her fingers lightly on his metallic nose. "Thank you," she rasped, "For getting me out."

"Gihi," the monstrous creature laughed, looking amused as he clicked his jaws. "Like I'd let my brat's little one get killed."

Igneel turned his gaze on Natsu after a moment. "When are you going to help me with my bet?" he grumbled. "Pointless. I encourage that friend of yours and she merely hits me."

"The golden one hit you?" Metalicana cackled at that piece of news, eyes glittering with amusement. Levy giggled, knowing that her friend probably had hit the dragon for such a suggestion. Lucy didn't want to admit her feelings just yet, and anyone who pointed them out received such violence.

At least it wasn't an Erza-level violence.

Metalicana turned his attention back onto Levy, this time nosing lightly at her with the tip of his nose and chin, and Gajeel glared at him warningly when he pushed a little too hard and nearly forced them into the sand. "You must make sure that the little one is taken care of, Gajeel," he rumbled. "I don't like her hurt. If I hear you haven't gotten her seen to, I ain't gonna stop beating the hell out of you."

"I'll make sure Levy gets Wendy to look at her," he huffed. "I ain't stupid, old man."

"Can we use proper grammar please," Levy pleaded and then closed her eyes, falling asleep in seconds with Lily still in her arms. The Exceed didn't look like he would be trying to go anywhere, his eyes shut and a purr in his throat.

As Natsu jogged back to Igneel, not willing to part from his father for very long, Gajeel realized that they'd lost all of their supplies. "We're going to have to head back soon." He glanced up. "We don't have any food, and we can't drink the water in that cave over there-"

"Good." Metalicana pulled back, head resting in the sand. "It's time for ya to return to your ridiculously stupid guilds."

"What about you?" Gajeel asked gruffly, already knowing the answer somewhere in the back of his mind. He didn't want his father to leave, but…

Somehow, he'd known from the beginning that Metalicana wouldn't stay.

Not when they had yet to let the other dragon slayers know about what was going on.

He felt a stab of sorrow in his chest, though he wouldn't admit it. But something told the iron dragon slayer they hadn't seen the last of the dragons, and that some day, if he was lucky, he'd see him again.

"Igneel and I will go back into hiding in better places," the iron dragon said proudly, eyes flashing. "Where you runts won't find us. And if you do find us again, I'll rip you into pieces, you hear me?"

"I'm not gonna hunt your stupid ass down," Gajeel said with a roll of his eyes, glaring a little. "Who'd want to see you ever again, you shitty piece of junk metal?"

"Don't talk like that," Metalicana growled, narrowing his eyes. "The little one doesn't like it."

"Since when did you start paying attention to what a little human girl wanted?" Gajeel demanded, arching a pierced brow. He rolled his eyes at his old man's attitude when he scoffed and retorted that he didn't. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, you stupid dragon."

Natsu came to rejoin Gajeel at the fire after a while, when the sun was just starting to go down, and they exchanged a look. Usually, he couldn't give a damn about the stupid pink-haired fire mage who didn't care who he offended or about what he destroyed.

But in this, he knew better than anyone else what Natsu was feeling.

A hint of grief, yet relief at the fact that they'd found their dragons alive and well for the time being. And while it hurt - killed them - that they had to say goodbye for even a short time...at least they were sure they'd see them again in the future.

Gajeel raked a hand through his black hair with a grumble, never once tearing Levy away from his lap as she nuzzled against him, making him turn a hint of pink when Natsu smirked at them.

He couldn't wait to go home.

* * *

The next morning found all of them up bright and early. Levy was nearly as full of energy as Natsu, while Gajeel, who'd been up for quite some time, glared at both. They danced around excitedly, chattering about this and that until Metalicana commented that Levy was going to lose her voice pretty soon if she didn't shut up.

But he looked amused rather than worried, as if he was interested in her actually proceeding to do so.

Gajeel scuffed an iron-studded boot in the sand to finish putting out the remains of the fire Natsu had devoured earlier, and then planted his hands on his hips, looking around them. There'd been no sign of Eberos - thank the heavens above, he still wasn't sure about how Eberos had gotten to them as quickly as he had. There was no way he could have flown. Dragon slayers were human, even with the nonhuman abilities they possessed. He wasn't Rogue or Laxus, who could use their magic to transfer themselves to other locations. He was a dragon slayer, sure, but he hadn't been anything special.

Choosing to not question it, Gajeel turned his attention on other matters - matters that were more important than wondering about a dead man. Matters like watching as Metalicana playfully nosed "the little one", his eyes glowing with amusement as she gasped and flailed to keep her balance, Lily falling from her head. Hovering beside her, the Exceed gave the iron dragon a nasty look.

"Don't do that," she giggled. "You're going to knock people down."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't be so small," he retorted.

"I'm sorry that you're a massive creature capable of more destruction than Natsu, amazingly enough," Levy replied, making the dragon snort in amusement so that his breath washed over her with enough force to nearly knock her over a second time.

As the blue-haired woman scolded him, earning cackling laughter from Metalicana, Gajeel's piercing look turned to Natsu and Igneel. The fire mage had slowed down, his energy fizzling out as he came to the realization that they'd soon say farewell. He refused to go so much as an inch away from him, one hand resting on the red scales. His eyes already glittered with unshed tears, and he kept his free hand tight around his scaled scarf.

As if reading what Gajeel's thoughts had come up with, Igneel grunted, "It's time."

Metalicana paused in teasing Levy to look up and then he gave a heavy sigh. "Whatever. Come along, little one, time to go. Pantherlily, would you be so kind as to get my brat onto my back so that I can lift the little one?"

"I have a name," Levy muttered as his large jagged teeth gently caught her by the back of her shirt and lifted her. She scowled lightly, as if insulted that she was being thrown around in such a way, but said nothing as she was placed gingerly onto his slick back.

Gajeel wasn't far behind and both looked over Metalicana's shoulder as Lily latched himself onto Gajeel's. Natsu easily scrambled onto his father's back, grinning. He made his way up the dragon's neck and planted himself firmly on Igneel's snout.

"Natsu," Igneel snorted, "This is ridiculous."

"No, it's not," he protested with a pout like a child. "I used to do this all the time, and it's not like I'm going to fall off, right?"

"Not my fault if you do." Igneel carefully swung his head around, narrowing his eyes. "Are we leaving or not? I'd rather get this over with. I'm not fond of prolonging goodbyes."

That had most of their smiles disappearing. Levy's brown eyes lost their sparkle, and her gaze darted to Gajeel, who said nothing, only stared past her as if he didn't see her, his lips pressed together. Lily said nothing, and Natsu didn't look like he was pleased at all.

But no one said anything other than a "Let's go," from Metalicana. The iron dragon prepared to launch his massive body into the sky, and Levy flushed as Gajeel dug his fingers into Metalicana's slick iron hide, his arms coming around her. She could feel his breath on her cheek and neck, and it made her turn red in response.

Lily snickered, entirely amused with their situation, because he knew neither of them were as smart as they seemed to think when it came to such matters.

Levy swallowed thickly, her throat still somewhat sore from the sand that had coated it the day before, and struggled to focus on other things, but when Gajeel cackled about the situation under his breath, she only shied away. "Stop doing that," she mumbled, reaching up and pushing his face away slightly.

"Breathing?" He rolled his eyes, a sarcastic tone in his voice as he retorted," Sorry, shorty, I like breathing too much to give it up."

"You know what I mean," she snapped back, curling her head to the side to try and block his breath from touching her, but he only snickered and simply blew onto her until she reached back and smacked at him.

Lily snorted, rolling his eyes at their behavior. "You two are idiots," he reported, and then twitched his tail when Levy nearly lost her balance, having to grab onto Gajeel's arms as Metalicana lunged upwards. She slammed back against the iron mage, who didn't seem to mind as he lifted his chin to enjoy the rush of air a final time.

He knew without a doubt that it would be a while before Metalicana came back.

At least his shrimp would be around for that time.

Which reminded him...he still had something to do.

"Hey," he barked in her ear, shocking her. She jumped, head snapping up to look at him. He flinched when a few strands of hair somehow caught themselves in the piercings on his chin, and she blushed as she gently used a hand to pluck them free when Metalicana had leveled out, his heavy wings beating at the sky.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"You two are pathetic," Lily didn't hesitate to tell them, reminding them again that he was there. Levy shot him a look. He merely smirked at her, flicking her lightly in the arm with his tail like he hadn't just interrupted Gajeel when the iron mage was trying to tell her something that she assumed was important.

"Oi," Gajeel snapped, losing patience. He elbowed his cat just enough to get him to shut up and then prodded Levy sharply. "Listen to me, woman." Her hazel eyes lifted to meet his crimson gaze and the proud dragon slayer looked her in the eye for a moment before telling her furiously, "You ever go and try and get yourself killed in a desert like you did for a stupid job like this, I'm gonna chain you to a wall in the guildhall. Ya hear me, shorty?"

She blinked, and then gave him a sheepish smile. "Yes, I hear you. Sorry for making you guys all worry like that. It was technically Metalicana's fault though; he's the one that wouldn't let me tell you all how things were going."

Metalicana didn't say anything, though he rumbled beneath them.

"Thank you for coming to Lily and my rescue though," Levy added, and then kissed his cheek quickly before turning her face away. Gajeel stared at her with uncertainty, unsure of how to reply to such an action and Lily snickered to his friend, "Idiot."

Gajeel swatted at the Exceed. "The hell are you, Happy?"

"No, and I'm glad I'm not," Lily muttered. "You two should go talk with Mira. She could teach you a thing or two, I think." That earned another swat that nearly sent Lily flying.

Levy merely pretended she hadn't heard a word, not wanting to encourage her companion to continue what surely would have been a rough scolding.

* * *

The dragons chose a spot a couple miles to the west of Oak Town to descend, and the second that they hit land, Metalicana shook himself so that they went skidding over the side of didn't look concerned as he dropped into empty air, Lily still clinging to his shoulder, but Levy shrieked in fear. Metalicana rumbled in amusement, turning to lightly pluck her out of the air and set her safely on the sandy ground beneath them.

"Don't do that," Levy snapped, glaring up at him, her stomach feeling queasy.

"Gihihi," Metalicana mocked, not concerned. He lifted his head proudly as Igneel lowered his own, shaking Natsu off with difficulty. The dragon slayer purposely clung to him, scowling when he was finally dropped into the sand.

Lily deposited Gajeel gracefully on the ground and Gajeel ruffled Levy's hair lightly before turning his crimson eyes on his father. "Alright, you iron bastard. Where the fuck do we need to go from here?"

"Don't pretend you don't know," Metalicana retorted, tail sweeping sand towards them in a near playful manner. Levy had to fight back tears; she'd enjoyed her time with him, even if he had technically imprisoned her for a while.

"I don't want you to leave again," Natsu whined to Igneel, who rolled his eyes.

"The dragons will come back when they see fit, Natsu," he told his son, lightly pressing his nose against his chest in an attempt to comfort him. Levy's heart ached for the pink-haired fire mage. He'd searched long and hard for Igneel. And now that he'd finally found him...he was leaving again. "Tell your female friend that I said goodbye."

"Yeah." Natsu hugged Igneel as hard as he could, ignoring the scales that dug into what flesh showed. Lily shifted over to Levy's shoulder as Gajeel whacked on Metalicana's muzzle with a fist when he lowered his head to bid them farewell. Metalicana snorted in alarm; Levy smiled to herself.

"If you try and kidnap shorty here again," he told him, "Then I'm gonna kick your ass to the next century. You hear me, old man?"

"I will try," Metalicana mumbled, looking amused with the iron mage, "To not kidnap your little one, though it doesn't mean I won't in the future if I think I need to." His glowing red eyes darted to the solid-script mage for a moment, flashing with affection. "Take care of her, brat. You chose a special one that deserves more than what you can give."

"I can take care of myself, and I think Gajeel can give plenty of what I deserve," Levy rasped, stepping forward. She carefully leaned forward to press a kiss to Metalicana's jaw, not wanting to cut herself on the teeth that showed due to a parted lower jaw. "Thank you for your concern, Metalicana. And I'll make sure Gajeel's still in one piece when you come back."

"Gihihi," the dragon snickered, finally pulling away after a moment. Natsu finished his goodbyes, swiping at his eyes as he came to stand beside his nakama. Levy smiled, slipping her fingers into Gajeel's. He glanced at her, but said nothing, seeming smug about the matter instead as he let her.

They all looked at one another for a moment more, and then Igneel sighed heavily and rumbled, "Might as well give you a good story to tell…" He reared his head back, and then, without a moment's hesitation, roared.

The sound rang out through the sands, filling the blue sky with its harsh and painful sound, and Metalicana clicked his jaws excitedly before copying, screaming his own cry. Gajeel looked ready to hit something.

"Ryos and that blond bastard are gonna be all over us now," he snarled under his breath, making Levy laugh.

"I hope Wendy doesn't cry," Natsu sighed, not wanting to upset their dragon slaying friend. But he wore a grin that spoke of eager happiness, his grief still evident in his eyes yet mixed with the pride that came with being Igneel's son.

Even as the dragons rose high into the sky, disappearing from view, did Levy feel at peace.

* * *

It was nearly nightfall once more that they finally hiked into Oak Town, their clothes sticking to their bodies. Well, Levy's and Gajeel's did. Natsu looked perfectly normal as he eagerly began to look for Lucy's golden head every time they turned a corner, eager to see her and Happy.

Lily kind of just hung around on Levy's head, dozing in the heat.

Gajeel lifted the small woman over a piece of rubble that still decorated the main street, and Levy thanked him warmly before looking around. "This way," she instructed. She took a step around a corner - and then squawked as she was tackled to the ground by an excitedly shrieking Kenai. "You're back!"

"Kenai!" Levy laughed, hugging the boy with a warm look in her hazel eyes. Lily gave him a dirty look as he picked himself up from the ground. "We're back alright! This time for good, too."

"Hey, kid," Gajeel greeted gruffly. He ruffled Kenai's hair when he hopped to his feet, and then pulled Levy upright, too. "The hell are you doing out here?"

"Watching," was all Kenai said before darting back in the direction he'd come from. He was shouting for Lucy, she realized a second later, as well as Happy and a few others. Natsu hurried after him, his onyx eyes flashing and Levy exchanged a look with Gajeel and Lily before going after them.

When they reached where the guilds had been set up, they were greeted by a massive amount of commotion.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked, relief written across her exhausted face. Together, she and Happy tackled him in a tight hug, and he returned it. He pressed his head affectionately against Happy's as the blue cat sobbed happily, and then affectionately pressed his forehead to Lucy's, searching her dark eyes.

"You're back!" Mirajane cried as she bustled over, her blue eyes shining with excitement. "For good, we hope?"

"For good," Levy laughed. "We're done with the desert, believe me."

She'd be having nightmares about it for months.

"Gajeel!" Wendy practically screamed as she came flying past everyone. Sting and Rogue weren't far behind, and Levy knew immediately what they were there to talk about. "Th-there was...Gajeel, there was a dragon! Two of them, we heard them earlier, we have to go look tomorrow-"

"Metalicana threatened to tear me to pieces if we went looking for him again, so no, we ain't," Gajeel told her lightly, eyes glinting with a surprising amount of mirth.

Silence from the three dragon slayers, and then Sting exploded, "I thought you said-"

"They don't want you fuckers hangin' around asking where your parents are," Gajeel told he and Rogue and then turned back to the upset looking Wendy. "But don't worry, kiddo. Grandeeney's doin' good."

Wendy stared up at him with teary eyes, and then began to cry. "I...I'm so happy," she sobbed. "I just...I just wanted to know…"

"Aw, Wendy," Levy murmured, drawing the girl in for a hug as Gray and Erza began to berate Natsu for worrying them so much. Well, Erza did; Gray awkwardly hung around behind her, looking amused.

Rogue furrowed his brow. "Then the other dragon-"

"Igneel," Levy told him softly, stroking Wendy's hair and aware that several others were watching and listening, including her team. Jet and Droy looked shocked. "We met with Metalicana and Igneel...Metalicana saved Gajeel and I when Eberos turned on us and tried to kill us. He ended up nearly drowning us in sand when he attracted a linnorm's attention to us."

Confused questions were immediately called about the matter, but Mira cut them all off with a piercing look. "They can answer questions tomorrow!" she called. Immediately, everyone shut up and backed off, much to Levy's amusement. "For now, let's let them get some sleep. They look exhausted."

"Gihi," Gajeel snickered under his breath, and Levy elbowed him when he said, "Look at their scared asses. And they think Mira's scary."

MIra turned a bright smile on him. "What was that?"

Gajeel stiffened, and Levy stifled her laughter with a hand. "Nothin'."

"That's what I thought," the silver-haired woman said pleasantly and then sidled away, ushering everyone inside. Everyone - even those of other guilds outside of Sting and Rogue - did as she instructed and soon the five dragon slayers, Levy, Lily, Happy, Gray, Erza, and Lucy were left alone.

"So," Sting demanded, turning blue eyes back on Natsu and Gajeel. "They say anything about Weisslogia and Skiadrum?" Rogue looked just as interested, hopeful even, and Natsu shook his head.

"No," he replied, "But we're sure all of the dragons are safe for now. They are gonna come back. Igneel and Metalicana said so."

"I can't wait," Wendy breathed, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt.

"Where's Charle, Wendy?" Levy asked as she patted her head with a laugh.

"Inside watching over a patient," Wendy mused, and then gasped and darted back. "Sorry, I have to go! See you later, guys!"

Sting and Rogue wandered back inside after her, heads close together as they spoke to one another under their breath, and before long, Natsu was heading inside, too, demanding that he be fed as his team followed. Lily snickered about something as he left Levy and Gajeel alone outside, and Levy flushed when she looked up to discover Gajeel squinting down at her through piercing red eyes.

"What?" she demanded.

"...can't decide. The fuck you like better, woman? Necklace or earrings?" He leaned closer and she had to fight the urge to lean away, her heart pounding in her chest as she realized he was looking at her ears. "Ain't pierced, but I could do it."

She looked startled, clearly not having expected that at all. "Um...both are equal? I've never had earrings, so that might be interesting, I guess?"

"Good." He ruffled her hair and smirked. "Then that's what you're getting'. We're gonna go get somethin' to eat, too, whether ya like it or not."

It hit her that this was his version of asking her on a date, and Levy couldn't help but burst into giggles, her eyes sparkling. "I'd like that very much," she gasped through her laughter, and then reached up to clasp her hands over his cheeks, yanking him down to her level. He grunted in shock when she simply pressed her lips to his and then pulled back to beam at her, amused by his gawking stare.

He blinked once, and then smirked, grabbing her hands and pulling her closer. "If ya wanted me, ya could have just said something, woman."

Levy blushed. "Shut up," she muttered, and then made a sound of delight when he kissed her again, her heart warm with affection for the man before her.

In the distance, Levy thought she might have heard the outraged scream of a frustrated animal. Perhaps even a human of some sorts. But she couldn't bring herself to care.

Slipping her fingers into his, Levy tugged Gajeel towards where she knew everyone waited, ready to pounce on them the first chance they got. "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."

Gajeel didn't protest, a smug smirk on his face, and for the first time in his life, he didn't care if the dragons showed up again.

So long as Levy was around...he didn't think he'd care ever again.

* * *

 _This is the last chapter! I'll release the epilogue...tomorrow, actually, I want to release it soon._

 _There were questions about Eberos and what happened to him. I purposely left that open. I wanted that weird uncertainty that it brings. He might be alive, he might not. That's up for you guys to decide. In the mean time, I contemplating another fanfic involving him..._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Guest #1 and SilverGhostKitsune!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	20. Epilogue

**. Oculto .**

* * *

"What the _hell_ are we doing out here, Lily?"

"You're the one who took the job."

"You're the one who offered to go with me and didn't stop me."

"Can we stop blaming one another and get a move on?"

"...right."

Levy - now Levy Redfox after three long years of dating, one of being engaged, and on her fourth of marriage - grimaced and started forward, hating how sand shifted beneath each step. She'd vowed to never set foot into a desert again. Yet here she was, on the outskirts of Oak Town, which had been rebuilt to its former glory, heading out into the desert to deal with a creature that had been supposedly attacking travelers that came by.

"Do you think Alexus is okay?" Levy fretted, thinking about how she'd left her daughter and son with Gajeel since he'd gotten to go on several jobs without her. "And Saviir?"

"They'll be fine," the patient Exceed told her, rolling his eyes. "Besides, Lucy offered to take Haru and Sage over to help him, remember? And Juvia's always coming over to help where she can, as is Mira. They'll be _fine_."

"Right, right," Levy sighed. She made her way through the sands, her blue hair swept out of her face and up in a ponytail. She'd wanted to cut it for a while now, but hadn't gotten around to it. "What do you think could be attacking travelers and letting them leave alive? Not a wyvern; they'd be eaten."

"I'd suggest Eberos, but he hasn't shown up since the ruins that you and Gajeel fought him in," Lily admitted. Levy grimaced at the reminder; Eberos hadn't been seen in nearly nine years. They were pretty damn sure that the evil bastard was long dead, buried beneath heaps of sand or eaten by the lone linnorm that still roamed the temple it had guarded.

"Well, we'll just have to find out, won't we?" Levy smiled. "He said it was only a mile or two out of town, and we've been walking for quite some time, so we've got to be around the area-"

Something sharp skimmed her cheek, drawing blood, and Levy whirled around, eyes flashing as she saw someone swing off of a mount's back, grinning. Coming from another side, she could see a few others.

"Slavers," she muttered, preparing her magic. "Here we go again, Lily. We can't escape these bastards."

"Like Gajeel said, you attract them," he replied, transforming and preparing a sword that he'd brought. He towered beside her, and Levy smirked. She was more confident in her magic after nearly a decade of growth, and she had no concerns about taking on so many at once. She'd competed alongside her nakama in the Grand Magic Games, bringing them to first in the most recent, and she was proud of what she'd done.

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Levy paused, glancing uncertainly at Lily, who narrowed his eyes, sniffing with his enhanced sense of smell to detect what it was, but he shrugged, coming up with nothing.

And then there was a roar so loud, she clapped her hands over her head. She gasped, watching as something surged out of the sands, its jaws clicking viciously. Sand came off in sheets, and she screwed her eyes shut to try and help protect them from the stinging that accompanied it. Massive talons scored the sandy earth as the creature hauled itself out of the sand, and Levy gawked up at it alongside the slavers, who'd stopped dead to gape in shock

There was a moment of silence, and then Levy began to laugh. Lily chuckled beside her, releasing the transformation. Crossing his arms, he glared at the slavers with a smug look, his eyes blazing with triumph.

Levy beamed innocently at them as it lowered its head to peer at them with a single glowing red eye, her hand coming to rest on the slick metallic nose that she hadn't seen in nearly nine years. Jaws clicked again, snapping massive teeth warningly.

"What?" she giggled, her hazel eyes flashing with a warning look. "Surprised? I'd run if I were you, dragons aren't nearly as forgiving as we humans are, right, Metalicana?"

"Gihihi," the dragon snickered, gaze never leaving the men before them. "I wouldn't say no to trying human for dinner."

Within minutes, they were gone, fleeing and screaming at the tops of their lungs. Levy roared with laughter, clutching her stomach. Wiping at her eyes as she gathered Lily in her arms, she greeted Metalicana with a warm smile. "Long time no see."

Metalicana's eyes flashed as he reared his head back. "It's been a long time," he agreed, and then shifted, metal hide clinking like Erza's armor did. "Where is my brat?"

"At home with our children," she replied. She caught the excitement that flickered through those glowing eyes and couldn't help but smile up at him, her voice smug when she spoke again, as if she already knew what he'd say to her next question. "Would you like to see them? Alexus is fascinated by dragons and would love to see one do a flyby."

Metalicana proudly raised his chin. "My brat has raised his hatchlings well. Tell me, little one, where the hell do I find these hatchlings of yours?"

Levy only exchanged a grin with Lily before telling him, "Magnolia. Home of Fairy Tail and everyone else in our massive family."

Without another word, his huge iron wings snapped out, and she didn't hesitate to turn and dart back towards town. She'd done her job. She didn't even need payment in the form of money.

The only payment she needed was the look on her husband's face when he realized that once again, she'd been the one to find a dragon.

And when she arrived at their house with Lily a day or so later, she wasn't disappointed. She was greeted by a grouchy Gajeel, who was keeping a close eye on their children as Alexus clambered around on Metalicana's talons and Saviir was seated beside him in the grass.

"The fuck, Levy?" he rumbled as she greeted him with a kiss to the cheek. "Salamander's gonna send you out like some kind of tracker."

She only smiled up at him with a look of feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about," was all she said as she left Lily with him, arms thrown out to catch Alexus when she came running to greet her.

As she pressed her face into her daughter's hair, Levy realized that she couldn't be happier.

* * *

 _Oculto is officially done! One of my shorter multi-chaps, to be honest, but I'm pretty fond of it. I love writing Metalicana, he's precious. As is everyone else._

 _I'm not going to lie: I'm considering a somewhat not really spinoff with Eberos. It would center around him and one, maybe two other OCs of mine and my editor's. People seemed to be cool with him and I like him despite his psychotic self. Would any of you be interested?_

 _Anyways...thanks to reviewers from the last chapter (SilverGhostKitsune, sassykitten1701, and Treblemkr!) as well as everyone who reviewed period! Thank you to those who favorited and followed! And thank you to everyone who read this period! I appreciate it all!_

 _If you don't know, I'm working on a Nalu and Gajevy work called In Tenebris. I'll leave you a small preview of it as a gift. That should be coming out soon, and I've started another project called Ashes to Ashes, in which Gajeel and Levy are fairly important. Between the Lines won't be over for quite some time, so you're welcome to check that out if you want._

 _Alright, that's about it. Thank you all again. And, as always..._

 _"Don't say goodbye!"_

 _~river_

* * *

 ** _Preview of In Tenebris!_**

 _"The hell is that thing?" Natsu demanded after a moment of staring at the phone._

 _Lucy blinked. "...a cell phone? Did you never see one?"_

 _He shook his head and Lucy looked to Levy for permission as she waved the pink-haired man over. Levy looked at her pleadingly but nodded in consent. "Here," she said, leaning towards him so that he could see. She swiped the music away and then explained, "We use them to call one another when we need to talk about something or another. Or we can message each other, which is basically talking without talking." She showed him that, as well. "There are a ton of other things we can do on them, but my personal favorite is this." She winked, pulling up a fairly well-known game that made Levy blush madly._

 _"Lucy," she whined, but Lucy had already handed the phone to Natsu, and Gajeel had come to peer over their heads in curiosity. "Can you read, Natsu?"_

 _"Yeah. Zeref and Mavis taught me." He curiously did as the directions on the game instructed and within minutes, he was playing it with a furiously excited look, Gajeel uttering orders to him over his shoulder while expertly avoiding getting his throat slit by the sharp tips of Natsu's horns every time he turned his head to snap at him with sharpened teeth._

 _Lucy thought they looked like a pair of friendly dragons, to be perfectly honest._


End file.
